DiBella Entertainment won the rights to promote the IBF light heavyweight title eliminator between Joseph Buatsi. The New York-based company outbid Buatsi’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, by $100,000, submitting a $975,000 bid. No other companies bid on the fight.
Buatsi (16-0, 13 knockouts), a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist from London, England is rated no. 3 by the IBF, while Pascal (36-6-1, 20 KOs), a former WBC light heavyweight titleholder from Canada, is rated no. 6.
DiBella Entertainment President Lou DiBella tells The Ring that the fight will happen in the United Kingdom. British promoter Frank Warren tweeted that he was “delighted” that DiBella had won the purse bid, adding “we will be working with Lou to stage this great fight in the UK.”
Warren’s Queensberry Promotions has a television deal in the United Kingdom with BT Sport.
The 29-year-old Buatsi is coming off a unanimous decision win over Craig Richards in May, while the 39-year-old Pascal has won three straight since suffering a decision loss to Dmitry Bivol in 2018, including a decision win over the previously unbeaten Fanlong Meng in May.
The winner would likely be next in line to challenge for at least one of the belts held by IBF/WBC/WBO light heavyweight titleholder Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 knockouts).
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