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Beatriz Ferreira-Yanina Del Carmen Lescano IBF Title Fight Set, April 27 In Liverpool

Fighters Network
25
Mar

Beatriz Ferreira finally has an opponent and a confirmed fight date.

Terms were finalized for the IBF-ordered lightweight title fight between Brazil’s Ferreira and Argentina’s Yanina Del Carmen Lescano. The bout is set to take place April 27 at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool, England.

The two will contend for the belt left behind by Ireland’s Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 knockouts), the RING 135- and 140-pound champion who also vacated her WBO 135-pound title.

Matchroom Boxing confirmed the news on Monday, as part of its NXTGEN series.



It will mark the first and likely only pro ring appearance of 2024 for Ferreira (4-0, 2 KOs) prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The unbeaten contender claimed a Silver medal for Brazil in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The goal leading into Paris 2024 was to win both a major pro title and a Gold medal in the same calendar year.

It proved to be a struggle, as Lescano was the fourth opponent ordered to face Ferreira.

Original plans called for London’s Caroline Dubois (9-0, 5 KOs) to enter talks with the unbeaten Brazilian. Dubois, No. 1 at 135, opted to instead proceed with a stay-busy fight in February. She will now pursue a different path for her first major title shot.

Rhiannon Dixon (9-0, 1 KO), No. 4 at 135, was offered but she targeted another title shot. The 28-year-old British southpaw will face Karen Carabajal for the vacant WBO 135-pound belt on April 13 in Manchester.

Next in line was Serbia’s Jelena Janicijevic (5-1-1, 2 KOs), who previously faced Ferreira four times in the amateurs. The 30-day negotiation period for the IBF-mandated title fight ended with Janicijevic removed from the equation for undisclosed reasons.

Lescano (14-3, 4 KOs) was then summoned to enter talks for the title opportunity and immediately embraced the opportunity. The two sides had until April 5 to reach a deal, though it was always just a matter of landing the right date.

The timing will now give Ferreira sufficient time to complete her preparation for her second Olympic run. Ferreira advanced to the finals in Tokyo but dropped a unanimous decision to Ireland’s Kellie Harrington.

Ferreira signed with Matchroom and manager Brian Peters ahead of her November 2022 pro debut. She will fight in the UK for the second time. Her previous trip was an eight-round shutout of Karla Ramos Zamora last July 1 in Sheffield.

All four pro bouts have come at or just above the 130-pound limit. Ferreira announced her intention to campaign at 135 after her fourth pro win last December in San Francisco, California.

Both Ferreira and Lescano will enter their first career title fight.

The show also features 2020 Olympic Silver medalist Pat McCormack and Junaid Bostan, two rising British prospects, in separate bouts.

Sunderland’s McCormack (5-0, 4 KOs) takes on Argentina’s Williams Andres Herrera (16-3, 7 KOs) in a ten-round, regional 154-pound title fight.

Rotherham’s Bostan (8-0, 6 KOs), a 22-year-old southpaw, faces Jack Martin (9-1, 4 KOs) in a 154-pound English title eliminator.

Jake Donovan a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Follow @JakeNDaBox

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