:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69435731/harris_sandoval.0.jpeg)
The IBF flyweight title eliminator between Jay Harris (18-1, 9 KO) and Ricardo Sandoval (18-1, 13 KO) is back on after being postponed from its original May 14 date. Like I’ve said before, this should be a really good action fight between evenly matched opponents. The card will be available on ESPN+ in the United States, and IFL TV around the world.
In addition to a solid main event, the card features a bout between former world champions Paul Butler (32-2, 15 KO) and Joseph Agbeko (38-5, 28 KO) as they compete for the vacant WBO international bantamweight title (which will also serve as a final eliminator for the WBO world title).
Butler is on a six-fight win streak since a May 2018 decision loss to Emmanuel Rodriguez. That contest was for the vacant IBF bantamweight championship, but Butler’s failure to make weight prevented him from making a second attempt at a world title, something he hopes to remedy by putting himself in position with a win on June 25 to challenge for Stephen Fulton’s title somewhere down the line.
At 44 years old, Agbeko is a decade or more removed from his win over Vic Darchinyan, and a tough four fights with Yohnny Perez and Abner Mares. Hopefully his testicles have made a full recovery from that first fight against Mares. His last fight of note came against Guillermo Rigondeaux in December 2013, in what was a shutout loss to the Cuban technician. Since then, he’s fought primarily at home in Ghana, so we’ll see how much the veteran has left in the tank against Butler.
Also on the card is a decent domestic level clash between light-heavyweights Hosea Burton (25-2, 11 KO) and Liam Conroy (18-6-1, 9 KO) in a final eliminator for a regional belt. Burton is hoping to bounce back from a decision loss against the resurgent Ricards Bolotniks, while Conroy is looking to turn around his fortunes after losing three of his last five, including two stoppages against Joshua Buatsi and Serge Michel.
Gary Cully (12-0, 2 KO) faces TBA after an impressive second-round TKO over Victor Kotochigov in March, and Tyrone McCullagh (14-1, 6 KO) makes his return from an extended 16-month hiatus.
Several MTK prospects fill out the rest of this card, with Blane Hyland (3-1) taking on Reiss Taylor, Inder Bassi (2-1) facing MJ Hall, and Pierce O’Leary (6-0, 2 KO) and Jordan Reynolds (1-0) scheduled to appear.