Kambosos Jr.vs Hughes and Keyshawn Davis- Patera L Confirmed for July 22 at FireLake Arena LIVE on ESPN
George Kambosos Jr (20-2, 10 KOs) and Maxi Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) have struck a deal to face off on July 22 in Oklahoma. The prize? The #2 spot in the IBF rankings.
The winner of this crucial fight could potentially challenge for the IBF lightweight title, if the current holder, Devin Haney, decides to vacate his quartet of titles and move to 140 following his victory over Vasily Lomachenko on May 20th.
Former holder of the IBF, WBA, WBO & Ring Magazine lightweight titles, George Kambosos, would relish another shot at world title glory, provided he triumphs over Hughes. But he shouldn’t expect an easy ride, particularly if he ends up facing Gustavo Lemos (28-0, 18 KOs), a tough contender known for his brutal body shots.
WHAT TIME IS KAMBOSOS JR VS. HUGHES?
- Date: Saturday, July 22
- Time: 10 p.m. ET / 3 a.m. BST
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 11:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. BST
- The fight will take place at FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
- The main card is set to get underway at 10 p.m. ET / 3 a.m. BST with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 11:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. BST. These timings could change due to the length of the undercard fights.
- The fight will be broadcast live on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Maxi Hughes has recently been in stellar form, with notable victories over fighters like Kid Galahad, Jovanni Straffon, Ryan Walsh, Patrick Hyland Jr, Jono Carroll, and Viktor Kotochigov. If Hughes continues in this form, he may force 29-year-old Kambosos Jr to a third consecutive loss.
After a dismal 2022, where he lost his unified lightweight titles to Devin Haney and was defeated in a rematch, Kambosos is in dire need of a win. A loss to Hughes could prove devastating, potentially pushing him to the edge or even out of the competitive tier, as it would be his third consecutive defeat.
Despite the odds, Kambosos remains optimistic. In a conversation with GEEDUP Co. TV, he spoke of his aspiration to become a two-time world champion, saying, “My motivation is to do it again. Pick up a few more belts and add them to the collection.” He further declared, “I’m a warrior. I love to fight, and I love to have that mentality.”
With speculation about his next opponent, Kambosos stated, “There’s still so much anticipation about who Kambosos is going to fight. I’m still the face of Australian boxing.” He took pride in his global reputation, “It’s good to be known there, but it’s a whole other level when you’re known all over the world. It took for me to take out a top pound-for-pound top five guy, a guy that had just beaten Lomachenko in Teofimo Lopez.”
KAMBOSOS JR VS. HUGHES FIGHT CARD
- George Kambosos Jr vs. Maxi Hughes; Lightweight
- Keyshawn Davis vs. Francesco Patera; Lightweight
- Giovani Santillan vs. Erick Bone; Welterweight
- Mike Balogun vs. Hemo Ahio; Heavyweight
- Roney Hines vs. Michael Pirotton; Heavyweight
- Troy Isley vs. TBA; Middleweight
- Jeremiah Milton vs. TBA; Heavyweight