Cameron Lands World Title Shot on Matchroom Debut
Rising Light-Heavyweight star Joshua Buatsi will make his long-awaited return to the ring on Sunday October 4 as he defends his WBA International Title against undefeated Croat Marko Calic, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Buatsi (12-0, 10 KOs) has firmly established himself as one of the most exciting talents in boxing having scored a series of eye-catching stoppage wins since turning pro in 2017, with many in the sport touting him as a future World Champion.
The 27-year-old from Croydon hasn’t fought since he knocked out Canada’s Ryan Ford in seven rounds at The O2 in August last year and he will be aiming to relieve his itchy knuckles before targeting some of the bigger names in the red hot 175lbs division including former World Title challenger Callum Johnson.
Calic (11-0, 6 KOs) enjoyed a successful spell in the amateur code, beating his fellow countryman Alen Babic twice, as well as highly rated Welshman Kody Davies, before joining the professional ranks in September 2016 where he is undefeated in eleven fights.
Chantelle Cameron (12-0, 7 KOs) lands a World Title shot in her very first fight as a Matchroom fighter as she takes on Brazil’s Adriana Dos Santos Araujo (6-0, 1 KO) for the vacant WBC Super-Lightweight crown previously held by Undisputed Welterweight ruler Jessica McCaskill.
Fresh from his emphatic two-round destruction of Shawndell Winters on the final weekend of Fight Camp, ‘The Savage’ Alen Babic (4-0, 4 KOs) returns to the UK looking to impress again as he locks horns with Irishman Niall Kennedy (13-1-1, 8 KOs) in an eight round Heavyweight contest.
Aqib Fiaz (5-0) and Kane Baker (13-6) look to settle the score after their Fight Camp disappointment, Luton’s Linus Udofia (15-0, 7 KOs) puts his English Middleweight Title on the line for the first time against Dillian Whyte-backed Brixton man John Harding Jr (8-1-1, 2 KOs) and recent Matchroom signing John Hedges make his pro debut at Super-Middleweight.
“I’m excited to have a fight date confirmed,” said Buatsi. “I haven’t boxed in over a year, so this has been a long time coming. I’m looking forward to going through the whole process of arriving at the venue, warming up, walking out and performing under those bright lights again.
“It has been very difficult adjusting my training whilst waiting for a fight date. It’s the first time it has happened to me as a professional to this extent, so it’s been an interesting period, but you just have to get on with it.
“Marko Calic is a solid opponent who will be coming to win. He’s very experienced in the amateur scene and was around on the circuit years before me. As always, I’m planning on impressing with my performance. Winning is everything. I want to get two fights in this year, starting with a win against Calic.”
“I’m so excited to get this fight,” said Cameron on her World Title opportunity. “It has been a long time coming and I’m ecstatic that the fight has been made and we’ve got a date set. I can remember watching Adriana Dos Santos Araujo when we were both amateurs and thinking that she was tough. She has beat some good names and has a good pedigree, so I’m expecting a tough 10 rounds and can see it being a bit of a war.
“It would mean the world to me to call myself World Champion. The WBC belt is a major World Title and it would be a dream come true, so fingers crossed I win this and then the journey will continue where I go for the other belts and look to unify the division.”
