Liam Paro and David Papot went nose-to-nose in Brisbane today, squaring off ahead of their IBF welterweight eliminator set for Thursday, September 18 — live at 6:00 AM ET in the U.S. and 11:00 AM in the UK.”
Papot needed a second attempt to make the welterweight limit ahead of tomorrow’s IBF World Title Eliminator against Australia’s Liam Paro at Pat Rafter Arena.
For Paro, the weigh-in was routine. For Papot, it was drama. Just 40 grams stood between him and disaster before he returned 20 minutes later to hit the number. With the fight cleared, Brisbane is set for a world-level main event.
Weigh-in chaos: a fall, a stumble, and a late save
The co-main nearly stole the show when Jorge Santana tumbled off the stage before his fight with Liam Wilson. Doctors cleared him, but it gave the weigh-in a jolt. “Did I see the co-main fighter disappear off stage? No, I didn’t see it myself, but everyone told me it was pretty spectacular,” said No Limit boss George Rose. “The important thing is he was checked by the doctor, ticked off as fine, and he looked okay when he came back up.”
Rose also addressed Papot’s near miss: “It came down to just 40 grams. That might not seem like a lot, but when you’re fighting for a world title eliminator it matters.”
Paro: “He’s going to find out quickly”
Paro spoke with confidence about his unbeaten opponent: “He’s undefeated, so you’ve got to respect that. But I don’t think he’s fought at the top level. I believe he’s a few steps behind, and he’s going to find that out quickly.”
He added that fighting back home is personal. “It’s good to be back in Australia after spending a few years overseas chasing world titles. Now it’s time to do it here, on home soil. Hopefully this is the first of many.”
George Rose didn’t mince words either when asked about Conor Benn: “If Conor Benn ends up holding the title, Liam Paro will punch holes in him.”
Tomorrow’s winner becomes the IBF’s mandatory challenger at welterweight. For Paro, it’s a chance to lock himself into the thick of a red-hot division. For Papot, it’s about proving his perfect record isn’t padded. Either way, the eliminator has real weight — far more than the 40 grams that almost cost Papot the fight.
Start Times:
- Date: Saturday, September 14 (Sunday, September 15 local)
- Venue: Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, Australia
- Start time: 7 pm AEST main card (5 am ET / 10 am UK)
- Broadcast: Live on Main Event via Kayo Sports
Main Card (with official weights):
- Liam Paro (26-1, 16 KOs) – 66.54 kg (146.7 lbs) vs David Papot (30-0-1, 5 KOs) – 66.68 kg (147.0 lbs)
12 rounds, Welterweight – IBF World Title Eliminator
(Papot made weight on second attempt) - Liam Wilson (16-3, 8 KOs) – 58.97 kg (130.0 lbs) vs Jorge Santana (15-1, 9 KOs) – 58.76 kg (129.5 lbs)
- Jacob Ng (15-1, 11 KOs) – 69.74 kg (153.8 lbs) vs Rikki Naito (25-4, 10 KOs) – 69.80 kg (153.9 lbs)
- Floyd Masson (16-2, 9 KOs) – 97.62 kg (215.2 lbs) vs Johan Linde (6-2-1, 5 KOs) – TBC
- Dharringarra Trewhella (5-0, 2 KOs) – 67.72 kg (149.4 lbs) vs Lachlan O’Shea (9-6-1, 4 KOs) – 67.80 kg (149.5 lbs)
Prelims (from 6 pm AEST):
- Sonny Knight (4-1, 3 KOs) – 74.78 kg (164.9 lbs) vs Ken Aitken (11-2, 3 KOs) – 73.58 kg (162.2 lbs)
- Danny Keating (10-0, 5 KOs) – 67.98 kg (149.9 lbs) vs Sachin Nautiyal (8-4, 7 KOs) – 68.36 kg (150.7 lbs
- Matthew Hosking (2-0, 2 KOs) – 65.30 kg (144.0 lbs) vs Lance McDonald (1-1-1, 1 KO) – 64.88 kg (143.0 lbs)
