On 7 November at Manchester's AO Arena, British light heavyweights Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson meet again for the interim WBC title, two years after a razor-close first fight. The winner moves closer to a world title shot against David Benavidez.
Practical information
- Dates
- Saturday, November 7, 2026
- Venue
- AO Arena, Manchester, Royaume-Uni
What's at stake
The vacant interim WBC light heavyweight belt goes to the winner, securing a shot at WBC champion David Benavidez or an upgrade to full champion if he vacates. Joshua Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs), a bronze medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympics, is rated No. 5 at 175 lb by The Ring. Willy Hutchinson (20-2, 14 KOs) is No. 7.
The two Britons met in September 2024 on the Dubois vs Joshua undercard at Wembley. Buatsi dropped Hutchinson twice but only won a split decision for the interim WBO title. Promoter Queensberry has billed the rematch "Point to Prove".
Card
On the undercard, Bradley Rea (22-2) defends his WBA Intercontinental light heavyweight title against Ezra Taylor (13-1). Unbeaten Jack Turner (14-0) and Andres Gregorio (14-0-1) fight for the WBA International super flyweight title, and Zak Miller (17-1) meets Gully Powar (13-1-1) at featherweight. Stephen Clarke, John Joe Carrigan and Billy Deniz, all unbeaten, complete the bill with opponents to be confirmed. Timings have not been published yet.
Getting there
The AO Arena sits next to Manchester Victoria station. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster. The card is shown live on DAZN.