Belfast’s ICC was a madhouse on Friday night. Deafening noise, bodies stacked against the barriers, punters screaming before a punch has even been thrown. This city has lived and breathed big fight nights before, but there’s something different in the air this week. Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan are fighting for Irish pride, bragging rights, and a slice of history — an all-Irish world title showdown in their own backyard.
Both fighters made weight without drama — Crocker tipping in at 146.6 lbs, Donovan at 145.7 lbs. Then came the stare-down. No handshake, no grins, just cold eyes. The roar that followed told you everything: Belfast is ready.
Why This All-Irish Title Fight Hits Different
Irish fans have seen big nights before — Carl Frampton filling the Odyssey, Katie Taylor taking her titles on the road — but Crocker vs Donovan is cut from a different cloth. Two unbeaten Irish welterweights, both carrying their people, colliding for the IBF world title.
Crocker is Belfast’s hammer: straight lines, heavy hands, a fighter who likes to march forward and break men down. Donovan, from Limerick, is the scalpel: slick southpaw angles, fast feet, confident swagger. Neither man’s tasted defeat, neither man’s planning to start now. One leaves with a belt. The other leaves humbled.
What the Weigh-In Told Us
The weigh-in was a war before the war. Crocker looked like carved granite, eyes locked and unblinking. Donovan was looser, more relaxed, smirk curling at the corners. The crowd — deafening, partisan, baying — was firmly Crocker’s.
Donovan, though, didn’t flinch. That tells you he won’t be rattled easily, even in enemy territory. Crocker feeds off noise. Donovan seems to thrive on defiance. The weigh-in wasn’t just theatre — it was a message: this fight won’t be polite.
Undercard Full of Needle
Don’t sleep on the co-main. Ishmael Davis and Caoimhin Agyarko barely acknowledged each other at the scales. Frosty is putting it mildly. Their 12-rounder for the WBA Continental super welterweight strap could be nasty.
Tyrone McKenna and Dylan Moran are set to run it back too. McKenna’s never short of words, Moran’s got plenty of his own, and their rematch promises more bite than talk.
Add in Team GB cruiserweight Pat Brown, looking to steamroll another opponent, and Molly McCann, the UFC firebrand stepping into a boxing ring for her pro debut, and you’ve got a card stacked with subplots. Belfast crowds don’t turn up early without reason — this undercard gives them one.
Crocker: “Without a doubt, I knock him out”
Lewis Crocker has made no secret of what he plans to do.
“The stars have aligned for me. Twenty thousand in Belfast — this is a boyhood dream.”
He knows he underwhelmed last time, but believes Saturday is redemption night.
“I can’t wait to silence the doubters. I’ll show I’m levels above last time.”
And the prediction? Brutal and straight.
“Without a doubt, I knock Paddy Donovan out.”
Donovan: “I’ll stop Crocker and become champion”
Paddy Donovan isn’t buying it. The Limerick southpaw says his time has come.
“It’s my time. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been.”
Donovan admits Crocker is solid, but insists he sees gaps everywhere.
“Lewis is good, but he makes mistakes. I’ll capitalise on every one.”
He doubled down on being the superior fighter.
“I’m better in every department — skill, power, heart, engine.”
And his closing shot landed heavy.
“I’ll become world champion and I’ll stop Lewis Crocker.”
Crocker’s Edge: Home Soil and Heavy Hands
Crocker is what he is: no-nonsense pressure, accurate jab, thudding right hand. He’s patient, picks his spots, and once he’s in range he doesn’t let opponents breathe. Against Donovan, he’ll need to cut the ring, crowd the southpaw, and make every exchange hurt.
And then there’s the Belfast factor. Crocker feeds on noise. Every time he lands, 5,000 throats will roar. That energy pushes a fighter, and Crocker knows how to use it.
Donovan’s Edge: Angles and Swagger
Donovan is the more polished operator. Southpaw stance, clever feet, sharp timing. He believes he’s slicker, sharper, and technically superior to Crocker — and he’s not shy about saying it.
His edge is discipline. If he can keep the fight at range, punish Crocker’s forward march with counters, and not get lured into standing still, he can silence the Belfast faithful and take the belt back to Limerick.
Keys to Victory
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Crocker: Pressure, cut off the exits, drag Donovan into exchanges.
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Donovan: Stay mobile, use angles, make Crocker miss and pay.
Simple in theory, brutal in execution.
The Full Belfast Running Order
Saturday, September 13 – ICC Belfast
Broadcast: DAZN | Prelims 4:30 PM | Main Card 7 PM
Prelims
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Jim Donovan (159.5) vs Lucas Barabasz (163) – Middleweight, 4 rds
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Kyle Smith (157) vs Connor Meanwell (155.5) – Super middle, 4 rds
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Aaron Bowen (163.2) vs Carlos Miguel Ronner (162.2) – Middleweight, 8 rds
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Donagh Keary (125.3) vs Caine Singh (125.3) – Super bantam, 4 rds
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Ruadhan Farrell (122) vs Matthew Boreland (121.7) – Irish Super Bantamweight Title, 10 rds
Main Card
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Molly McCann (121.3) vs Kate Rodomska (118) – Super bantam, 6 rds
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Patrick Brown (204.8) vs Austin Nnmadi (197.6) – Cruiserweight, 8 rds
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Tyrone McKenna (149.5) vs Dylan Moran (149.8) – Welterweight, 10 rds
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Ishmael Davis (153.5) vs Caoimhin Agyarko (153.3) – WBA Continental Super Welterweight Title, 12 rds
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Lewis Crocker (146.6) vs Paddy Donovan (145.7) – IBF World Welterweight Title, 12 rds
My Take: Belfast Will Be a Cauldron
Crocker’s the hammer, Donovan’s the scalpel. One wants to break, the other wants to slice. Belfast has waited years for a night like this, and the weigh-in proved the city’s ready to erupt.
If Crocker gets his way, Donovan’s in for a long, bruising night. If Donovan keeps it clean and sharp, he could make Crocker look one-paced. Either way, someone’s leaving without their “0,” and the IBF welterweight crown will be draped in Irish colours.
For Irish boxing, it’s a line in the sand. For Belfast, it’s a night they’ll talk about for years.
