It’s our first ranking update of 2024! The next one will be Monday, January 29.
Here are the qualifying fights we will see between now and then:
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Upcoming fights: (1) Oleksandry Usyk vs (2) Tyson Fury, February 17
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Upcoming fights: to be confirmed
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Notes: Artur Beterbiev destroyed Callum Smith in typical Beterbiev style, as Smith again clearly failed the test at the highest level. Smith is a good fighter, he loses a few spots and could very well beat everyone who fell behind this week.
Beterbiev is still number 2, he could be number 1, it’s him and Bivol and then the rest.
Upcoming Fights: (5) Joshua Buatsi vs (6) Dan Azeez, Feb. 3
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Upcoming fights: (6) Jaime Munguia vs (7) John Ryder, January 27
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Upcoming fights: (8) Austin Williams vs Connor Coyle, February 3… (6) Hamzah Sheeraz vs (10) Liam Williams, February 10
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Upcoming fights: to be confirmed
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Upcoming fights: to be confirmed
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Notes: Arnold Barboza Jr did the job against the super-matched Xolisani Ndongeni and is now hoping to get a bigger fight. And you deserve one. But it could still be difficult to get one unless he ends up being Ryan Garcia’s next real opponent if Garcia doesn’t fight Rolly Romero and doesn’t fight Devin Haney.
Upcoming fights: (2) Teófimo López vs Jamaine Ortiz, February 8
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Upcoming fights: (5) William Zepeda vs. (8) Maxi Hughes, Mar. 16… (1) Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. (10) George Cambosos Jr., May 11
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Upcoming fights: (2) O’Shaquie Foster vs Abraham Nova, February 16… (5) Oscar Valdez vs (10) Liam Wilson, March 29
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Upcoming Fights: (1) Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Reiya Abe, Mar. 2… (10) Otabek Kholmatov vs. Raymond Ford, Mar. 2
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Upcoming fights: to be confirmed
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Notes: Jason Moloney successfully defended his WBO title in a tough fight with Saul Sanchez, you should check out ESPN+ or your favorite criminal empire and be sure to check it out if you missed it, we don’t have that many really good fights this early. in the year and that was one.
Moloney is not special, but he is clearly one of the best fighters in the bantamweight division, as he became after Naoya Inoue. Those top three are all paired, Grandpa Donaire is a wild card and Together He Comes, which could be the arrival of the new No. 1 at the end of February.
Upcoming Fights: (1) Alexandro Santiago vs Junto Nakatani, Feb. 24
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Upcoming fights: (5) Kosei Tanaka vs Christian Bacasegua, February 24
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Upcoming fights: (4) Artem Dalakian vs (9) Seigo Yuri Akui, January 1. 23
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Upcoming fights: (1) Kenshiro Teraji vs (3) Carlos Cañizales, Jan. 23… (4) Adrian Curiel vs (8) Sivenathi Nontshinga, February. 16… (2) Jonathan González vs. To be confirmed, Tue. 2
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Upcoming fights: (7) Mikaela Mayer vs Natasha Jonas, January 20… (4) Amanda Serrano vs Nina Meinke, March 2
