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Eubank Jr-Benn 2, Benavidez-Yarde: Five fights you cannot miss before the end of 2025
As we approach the final months of 2025, there are plenty of high-profile boxing fights to look forward to.
In a year that has seen undisputed champions crowned, shock upsets, and controversial decisions, the fact that there are still more world titles to be won and lost should excite fight fans all over the world.
The following five fights should pique the interest of boxing spectators, from purists to casual watchers.
Eubank Jr-Benn 2
The build-up to the first fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn had it all. Not only was there the underlying motif of their fathers’ rivalry, the name of two British boxing stars carried on by their sons, but a personal feud boiled over between Benn and Eubank Jr.
There was plenty of pot-stirring from both sides, with intrigue, drama, and passion stewing ever since the original meeting in 2022 was cancelled following a two positive drug tests for Benn.
Eubank Jr clawed the headlines back with his egg-based antics at the first press conference, slapping his opponent during a face-off. Then there was the speculation surrounding the appearance of his estranged father, Chris Eubank Sr.
When Eubank Sr appeared at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium alongside his son there was a huge reaction from fight fans in the ground and around the world. Somehow, the fight managed to live up to all the hype surrounding it, the passion and bravado exchanged pre-bout converted into an all-out slugfest.
Eubank Jr clearly expended all he had to win the grudge match, the older man whisked to hospital straight after the contest, but Benn had shown grit of his own by jumping up 13lbs and putting in a strong performance against a more experienced opponent.
A rematch was demanded by fans, although again controversy and suspense returned after an initial date for September fell through. Debate over the rehydration clause remains for Eubank Jr and his camp, but both fighters are now preparing to do battle once again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, November 15, live on DAZN PPV.
Parker-Wardley
Whilst not quite the heavyweight clash boxing purists would have liked to see involving Joseph Parker, this meeting of two interim world champions will have ramifications on the division’s landscape.
Parker is the mandatory challenger for undisputed king Oleksandr Usyk, but attempts to arrange a bout with the Ukrainian have been halted by injury.
DAZN NewsAlready kicking his heels since making quick work of stand-in opponent Martin Bakole in February after his world-title shot at then-IBF champion Daniel Dubois fell through, Parker has decided to keep busy.
Fabio Wardley became the WBA interim champ with a punch from the gods against Justis Huni in June; turning what seemed like an inevitable unanimous decision loss into a knockout win. Both men could have found easier routes to advance their hopes of becoming a world champion, but instead they have set up a mouthwatering clash for fans.
Victory for either man would remove a rival from the title picture, as well as strengthening their own claims to face Usyk. This fight is the closest on the horizon, with all the action shown live on DAZN PPV on Saturday, October 25.
Benavidez-Yarde
The Ring’s next show is the aptly named ‘Night of the Champions’, featuring five world title bouts live on DAZN on Saturday, November 22.
It will be the first time that David Benavidez puts his freshly minted WBC light heavyweight belt on the line, having been upgraded to full champion after holding the interim version since June of last year.
Ring MagazineClearly the favourite for the contest, he fights a Brit who has unsuccessfully served as a contender in two previous world title fights. Anthony Yarde was defeated by Sergey Kovalev and Artur Beterbiev in 2019 and 2023 respectively, but has retained a presence in the top echelons of the 175lbs division.
At 34, this does feel like the last chance Yarde will get at a world title, whilst Benavidez has made it clear he harbours ambitions of becoming the third man to rule the light heavyweight division during the four-belt era.
That sets up a storyline of a contender with nothing to lose against a champion risking his future against a top-10 challenger.
Norman Jr-Haney
Another fight on the same Ring show, the dynamic between Devin Haney and Brian Norman Jr is slightly different to Benavidez-Yarde.
Although currently without a belt, challenger Haney’s pedigree is obvious. Formerly undisputed at lightweight, the American is a two-weight world champion after picking up the WBC super lightweight title in 2023. But his last two outings have left fans questioning Haney’s ceiling.
His fight with domestic rival Ryan Garcia has since been deemed a no contest following a positive drug test for his rival, but the damage dished out by King Ry has left Haney with a hangover.
(Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda)
That was apparent upon his return to the ring in May, where a subdued and Haney took a unanimous decision win over Jose Ramirez in a largely forgettable contest.
Norman Jr was promoted to full champion by the WBO at welterweight in 2024 and has looked deserving of the belt in two fights during 2025, including a stunning knockout of Jin Sasaki in June. Only 24 and unbeaten in 28 fights, Norman Jr is hoping to make a statement by sweeping aside a former two-division champion.
For Haney, this is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that he still has it against elite opposition.
Rodriguez-Martinez
Earning undisputed status has become fashionable in recent years, with boxers seeing the appeal of being able to state that they are the best in a certain division.
Stars such as Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue have seen their greatness conquer more than one division, inspiring champions to pit their talents against other title holders.
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez is clearly a man on a mission in the super flyweight division. Already a unified champion at flyweight, ‘Bam’ returned to super flyweight in 2024 to regain his WBC title at 115lbs.
Making one defence of his belt before the end of last year, the American has quickly made moves to unify titles. He set up a bout with WBO champion Phumelele Cafu for July, but even before he had taken to the ring against the South African, he agreed to fight WBA title holder Fernando Martinez in November on the Ring IV card.
Melina Pizano/Matchroom
Cruising to a TKO victory in the 10th round against Cafu, Rodriguez’s gamble of setting up a future fight has paid off, with three titles on the line when he meets Martinez.
Frustratingly for both fighters, the contest could have been for undisputed status. Undefeated in 18 fights, Martinez had previously unified the IBF world championship with the WBA strap, defeating Kazuto Ioka in July 2024.
In October Martinez opted to vacate the belt he had held since 2022 to pursue a rematch with Ioka, which was eventually staged in May 2025. That means whoever wins between Rodriguez and Martinez will have to chase a scrap with Willibaldo Garcia, the IBF’s incumbent champion at 115lbs.
Already one of boxing’s pound-for-pound stars, ‘Bam’ could further cement his stature in the sport by defeating another unbeaten champion in the form of Martinez.
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