Featherweight Champion Raymond Ford to Face Undefeated Nick Ball on “5 vs. 5” Undercard in Riyadh
On June 1st, the boxing world will converge in Riyadic, Saudi Arabia, for a highly anticipated light heavyweight unification clash between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Complementing this main event will be an engaging “5 vs. 5” undercard, which will feature a compelling featherweight matchup between champion Raymond Ford and the undefeated Nick Ball.
Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs), the reigning featherweight titleholder, secured his belt in March with a dramatic last-second stoppage over Otabek Kholmatov, a contender for early fight of the year. The 24-year-old Ford is part of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stable and will be supported by newly signed Deontay Wilder.
His opponent, Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs), hailing from Liverpool, U.K., recently challenged long-reigning champion Rey Vargas, earning a split-decision draw. Prior to that, Ball had defeated former world titlist Isaac Dogboe. At just 25 years old, Ball has established himself as a rising force in the competitive 126-pound division.
Former junior featherweight world champion Angelo Leo, currently ranked No. 7, expressed his thoughts on the intriguing matchup. “Nick Ball is a tough, muscular fighter who comes right at you,” he said. “Raymond Ford also showed his toughness in his last fight, so I think this is a great clash of styles that could go either way.”
With both Ford and Ball boasting undefeated records and the former’s title on the line, fight fans can expect an exciting and closely contested encounter on the undercard of the Beterbiev-Bivol light heavyweight unification bout in Riyadh on June 1.
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