Fights fans have many choices when it comes to what to watch on Saturday, with significant bouts taking place all around the world.
From Lamont Roach and Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz fighting for a vacant WBC interim title at 140 pounds, to O'Shaquie Foster defending his WBC junior lightweight belt against former featherweight champion Stephen Fulton Jr., to ESPN's No. 1-ranked cruiserweight, Jai Opetaia, putting his IBF title on the line against Huseyin Cinkara in Australia, there are many championships at stake.
ESPN runs through the best fights to watch this weekend, from San Antonio to Monte Carlo to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
1. Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz - Interim junior welterweight title bout on PBC PPV on Prime Video
Roach takes a risky assignment when he faces "Pitbull" Cruz in his junior welterweight debut in San Antonio, Texas, after a rematch with Gervonta "Tank" Davis failed to happen.
Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) should get some credit for taking on the challenge for a secondary world title (the vacant WBC interim junior welterweight title), but should he have taken a different fight to adjust to the new weight class? We will find out when he faces Cruz, who along with Roach are the only boxers to take Davis to a decision. Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs), who has registered two wins since losing the WBA world title to Jose Valenzuela in a split decision in August 2024, impressed in a decision loss to Davis in 2021, while Roach held Davis to a disputed majority draw in March. In that fight, Roach should have been awarded a decisive knockdown in Round 9 when David took a knee and then went to his corner to wipe his eyes with a towel. The extra point for a knockdown would have tipped the balance in his favor against Davis.
Roach, a former WBA lightweight champion, doesn't have KO power, but his counterpunching and movement can win him a decision if he avoids getting drawn into a brawl with the power-punching Cruz, who will be looking to repeat his destructive performance in a Round 8 stoppage win over Rolando "Rolly" Romero in March 2024.
2. O'Shaquie Foster vs. Stephen Fulton Jr. - Junior lightweight title bout on PBC PPV on Prime Video
This fight was scheduled for the Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman undercard on Oct. 25, but the show was cancelled after Fundora suffered a hand injury in training.
Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs) will be attempting to become a three-division world champion when he challenges Foster for his WBC junior lightweight title on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas. Fulton's only defeat came by eighth-round stoppage to the formidable Nayoua Inoue in July 2023 down at junior featherweight, and since then, he has outpointed Carlos Castro and Brandon Figueroa in featherweight bouts.
Fulton impressively outworked Figueroa in their rematch earlier this year, and it is a strategy he should look to adopt against Foster. But can he have the same success against the clever movement and skills of Foster?
After winning back his junior lightweight title with a split decision win over Robson Conceicao, Foster (23-3, 12 KOs) looks to be a better pick for this fight, which could elevate his career to a new level. Foster's superior size could also be decisive against Fulton, who was dropped when he fought Castro in September 2024.
This is Foster's sixth fight at junior lightweight, and it looks like an opportunity for him to produce a spectacular performance to boost his profile.
3. Shabaz Masoud vs. Peter McGrail - Junior featherweight bout on DAZN
This will be a highly competitive contest between two English junior featherweights on a trajectory for world title contention. For Masoud (16-2, 4 KOs), this fight for the vacant European title fight could not come soon enough, as he has not boxed since a split decision win over Liam Davies in November 2024. A training injury sustained by Masoud delayed this fight from happening in June.
McGrail (12-1, 6 KOs), who has won four fights in a row after getting knocked out by Ja'Rico O'Quinn in December 2023, had a distinguished amateur career and his experience gives him the edge, but he has been cut in his last two fights, which is something to look out for. This fight won't disappoint.
4. Jesus Ramos Jr. vs. Shane Mosley Jr. - Interim middleweight title bout on PBC PPV on Prime Video
Both fighters are in good form for this opportunity to win the vacant WBC interim middleweight title. Ramos (23-1, 19 KOs) has particularly impressed in two stoppage wins this year, while Mosley (22-4, 12 KOs) is coming off a career-best win over former middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs. However, that win over Jacobs was in July 2024, and Mosley hasn't fought since. That inactivity could cost him.
After growing frustrated by a lack of opportunities at junior middleweight, Ramos is counting on his power to succeed at 160 pounds. He has certainly matured and developed since a unanimous decision defeat to Erickson Lubin in September 2023. If Ramos pulls it off, he could get a shot at WBC middleweight titleholder Carlos Adames in 2026 rather than return to junior middleweight.
5. Beatriz Ferreira vs. Elif Nur Turhan - Women's lightweight title bout on DAZN
Ferreira makes a fourth defense of her IBF lightweight title against a dangerous challenger in Turhan, who has won her past three fights by stoppage. Both fighters are unbeaten, so the fight promises to be close.
Ferreira (8-0, 2 KOs), ESPN's No 2 at lightweight, has made two convincing title defenses this year, both at home in Brazil, but she will be taken out of her comfort zone in Monte Carlo. Turhan (11-0, 7 KOs) moved down to junior lightweight for her most recent fight and needed only six rounds to defeat the then-unbeaten Rima Ayady in August. The rising star has won two of her past three fights inside two minutes, so we could be in for a lively start.
6. Jai Opetaia vs. Huseyin Cinkara - Cruiserweight title fight
Opetaia, ESPN's No. 1 cruiserweight, should get through this fight without any drama. And if it is another convincing win, could Opetaia announce he is stepping up to heavyweight? Or will he call for a title unification bout versus WBA, WBO champion, Gilberto Ramirez?
Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) made it look easy in a Round 5 KO win over Claudio Squeo in June and is not expected to be inconvenienced against the 40-year-old challenger, Cinkara (23-0, 19 KOs), whose three quick wins in the past two years have come against lower-level opposition.
7. Johnny Fisher vs. Herbert Matovu - Heavyweight bout on DAZN
Fisher (13-1, 11 KOs) needs to win if he wants to sustain interest in his career, so expect him to go looking for a KO, which makes this fight a must see.
If Fisher gets his career back on track, following a shocking Round 5 stoppage loss to David Ryan in May, a trilogy fight with Ryan or even a shot at new British champion Jeamie "TKV" Tshikeva are possibilities. A loss, and his chances to be a champion could disappear.