ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, will stream a pair of stacked cards this weekend, including a world title bout featuring all-action IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington.
The weekend extravaganza kicks off Friday at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT, as unbeaten flyweight contender Jay Harris will battle three-time Irish Olympian Paddy Barnes in a 12-rounder at Ulster Hall in Belfast.
Warrington will make the third defense of his title Saturday against Sofiane Takoucht at the First Direct Arena in his hometown of Leeds, England. Warrington-Takoucht and select undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT.
Warrington (29-0, 6 KOs), nicknamed “The Leeds Warrior,” won the world title in his hometown last May with a well-deserved split decision victory over Lee Selby. He returned later that year and bested former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton by unanimous decision in a Fight of the Year contender. In his last outing, Warrington edged Kid Galahad via split decision. Takoucht (35-3-1, 13 KOs) has won eight consecutive bouts and is a former European and IBF International featherweight champion.
In other ESPN+ streaming action on the Warrington-Takoucht card:
- Zelfa Barrett (22-1, 13 KOs) will make the first defense of his Commonwealth super featherweight title in a 12-rounder against Scottish veteran Jordan McCorry (18-6-1, 4 KOs).
- In a 12-rounder for the vacant Commonwealth light heavyweight title, Lyndon Arthur (15-0, 12 KOs) will take on Emmanuel Anim (14-2-1, 12 KOs).
- Troy Williamson (11-0-1, 8 KOs) will fight France’s Fouad El Massoudi (17-11, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBO European super welterweight championship.
Harris (16-0, 8 KOs) is coming off a career-best win June 1 over former world title challenger Angel Moreno, and he is taking yet another step up against Barnes (6-2, 1 KO), who will have the crowd behind him. Barnes won a pair of Olympic bronze medals as an amateur, but in a bid for the WBC flyweight world title last August, he lost via fourth-round knockout to Cristofer Rosales. He dropped a split decision to Oscar Mojica in his comeback bout but rebounded to decision Joel Sanchez over six rounds in August.
The Harris-Barnes stream will also include the following bouts:
- Super lightweight sensation Sean McComb (8-0, 4 KOs) will fight Emiliano Dominguez Rodriguez (23-5, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
- Former lightweight world champion Terry Flanagan (34-2, 14 KOs) will look to make it two wins in a row versus Michael Ansah (17-9-2, 11 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout.
- Top Rank signee Paddy “Real Deal” Donovan, from Limerick, Ireland, will make his professional debut in a six-round welterweight fight against Arturo Lopez (5-13-3, 0 KOs). Donovan is trained and managed by former middleweight world champion Andy Lee.
- Former Irish amateur star Pierce O’Leary will make his professional debut in a four-round super lightweight fight against Oscar Amador (10-22, 1 KO).
Use the hashtags #WarringtonTakoucht and #HarrisBarnes to join the conversation on social media.
#MTKFightNight @ Ulster Hall – Weights & Running Order
DOORS OPEN – 5.30pm
FIRST BELL – 6pm
Preliminary bouts (iFL TV)
Bout 1
Welterweight, 6 Rounds
LEWIS CROCKER (IRE, 11st) vs. OHIO KAIN IREMIREN (ENG, 10st 13lbs)
Bout 2
Lightweight, 6 Rounds
GARY CULLY (IRE, 9st 13lbs) vs. DANNY MENDOZA (NIC, 10st 5lbs)
Bout 3
Middleweight, 6 Rounds
CONRAD CUMMINGS (IRE, 11st 11lbs) vs. ADAM GRABIEC (POL, N/A)
Bout 4
Super-featherweight, 4 Rounds
RUAIRI DALTON (IRE, 9st 3lbs) vs. JOSE HERNANDEZ (NIC, 9st 1lb)
ESPN+ broadcasts begin 8pm
Bout 5
Welterweight, 6 rounds
PADDY DONOVAN (IRE, 10st 7lbs) vs. ARTURO LOPEZ (MEX, 10st 4lbs)
Bout 6
Lightweight, 8 rounds
TERRY FLANAGAN, (ENG, 9st 13lbs) vs. MICHAEL ANSAH (GHA, 9st 7lbs)
Bout 7
Super-Lightweight, 4 rounds
PIERCE O’LEARY (IRE, 10st 3lbs) vs. OSCAR AMADOR (NIC, 10st 5lbs)
Bout 8
Super-Lightweight, 8 rounds
SEAN McCOMB (IRE, 10st 1lb) vs. EMILIANO RODRIGUEZ (ARG, 9st, 13lbs 2oz)
Bout 9 – Main Event
IBF Inter-Continental Flyweight Title – 12 rounds
PADDY BARNES (IRE, 7st 13lbs 8oz) vs. JAY HARRIS (WAL, 7st 13lbs 9oz)
Bout 10 – Float
Lightweight, 4 rounds
SEANIE DUFFY (IRE, 9st 9lb 1oz) vs. EDWIN TELLEZ (NIC, 9st 5lbs)
