Former Sparring Partner of Conor Mcgregor Headlines Against Ben Whittaker
A former training partner of Conor McGregor headlines this evening's Birmingham card against Ben Whittaker.
Olympic silver medalist Ben Whittaker returns to the ring tonight at Birmingham's Utilita Arena as he takes on a former sparring partner of Conor McGregor, Conor Wallace.
The men will compete for the WBC Silver light-heavyweight title, which is currently held by Whittaker after he knocked out Benjamin Gavazi.
Ben Whittaker vs Conor Wallace this Saturday on DAZN is a final eliminator to determine the mandatory for Dmitry Bivol's IBF title 👀
Bivol also holds The Ring, WBA & WBO light heavyweight crowns 👑 pic.twitter.com/rIWvXSFf27
The Ring Magazine announced earlier this week that the fight will act as a final eliminator to determine the mandatory next challenger for Dmitry Bivol's IBF title.
Former Conor McGregor Training Partner Meets Ben Whittaker
Conor Wallace was specifically brought in to Conor McGregor's famous training camp for his rematch with Nate Diaz in 2016.
At the time, Wallace was a boxer who, due to his length and southpaw style, was brought in as a sparring partner ahead of UFC 202. Allegedly, the two men sparred hundreds of rounds together, which, on paper, was useful for McGregor. Wallace would feature as part of McGregor's corner for the UFC 202 main event, a huge position for a man who had no experience in MMA.
The Irishman would go on to win a narrow majority decision against Diaz in what has gone down as an instant classic.
Birmingham Card
Wallace vs Whittaker will feature as the main event in Birmingham, which promises to be a competitive fight. Whittaker has run through each and every opponent he's faced thus far and has done so with a highly entertaining style. The only hiccup in his career was a no contest against Liam Cameron after both men fell out of the ring; he reacted to this loss by blowing him away in the rematch in just two rounds.
The co-main event will feature 38-year-old Bilal Fawaz, who looks to keep hold of his British super welterweight title when he faces Eithan James.
Hot prospect Hamza Uddin will look to capture the British flyweight title from Sean Bruce. The vacant Commonwealth flyweight title will also be on the line. Uddin is one to keep an eye on at just 23 years old.
