Kambosos vs Hughes Date, Location Set For IBO 135-Pound Championship Fight
Kambosos vs Hughes Set For Neutral Territory As Las Vegas Hosts Another Significant Lightweight Fight
Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, two fighters ranked by Ring Magazine at Lightweight – although the bout was one pound over the 135-pound limit, met in their colossal Las Vegas super fight last Saturday, April 22. Four weeks later it will be Devin Haney defending his Undisputed titles against Vasyl Lomachecko, and Vegas will now play home to a third significant fight in the Lightweight division.
NoSmokeSport.com has learnt that Yorkshire’s Maxi Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) and former unified lightweight champion Australia’s George Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs), will meet for Hughes’ IBO Lightweight title on Saturday, July 29 at an undetermined site in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
This outlet was the first to break the development of the two fighters agreeing to terms on March 2.
NoSmokeSport understands that the bout will also be an official eliminator for the IBF world title with the winner claiming the #2 spot in the IBF rankings. Gustavo Lemos is the #1 and the belts are expected to fragment after May 20, putting the winner of Kambosos-Hughes in good stead for a vacant title shot.
Kambosos and Hughes are Ring Magazine’s #8 and #10 ranked fighters respectively which means we will see at least 6 out of the top 10 fighters in the division face each other in a 3-month period.
Hughes had a career resurgence over recent years, upsetting world title challenger Jono Carroll, and unbeaten prospect Viktor Kotochigov. Hughes then started to add silverware, winning the British against Paul Hyland Jnr, and then the IBO Title against Jovanni Straffon.
The Yorkshire-based fighter has made two defences of his IBO Title, against Ryan Walsh, and in his last bout against Sheffield’s Kid Galahad. Hughes planned to vacate the IBO title last year to land a title eliminator but has now got just that without dropping his belt.
Kambosos will look to bounce back against the tough Huges after being comprehensively outboxed twice by now Undisputed Lightweight Champion Haney last year. Kambosos won the unified title against Teofimo Lopez, in the upset of the year in 2021, at Madison Square Garden.
The Australian secured a huge payday to unify with WBC Champ Haney, at home in Australia, also including a big money rematch clause in the contract. The WBC number 6, and IBF number 7, will now look to secure another title shot.
Now or never for Maxi Hughes in Vegas.
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