Coming up at York Hall tonight, the talented Dennis McCann is gearing up to potentially add another title to his already impressive belt collection. This time, he’s setting his sights on the vacant WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight title. His challenger? Ionut Baluta. And the best part? You can catch all the action live on TNT Sports.
McCann is proving to be a force to reckon with in the boxing world. At just 22, he’s undefeated with 14 wins, of which 8 were by knockout. He’s been on a winning streak, having secured the WBO Youth title, the WBC International Silver, and the Commonwealth title, taking down opponents like Charles Tondo, James Beech Jr, and Joe Ham.
MCCANN VS. BALUTA START TIME
- Date: Friday, August 18
- Time: 7 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. ET
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 10 p.m. BST / 5 p.m. ET
- TNT Sport will broadcast the fight in the UK
- The fight will take place at York Hall in London.
- The event is set to get underway at 7 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. ET with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 10 p.m. BST / 5 p.m. ET.
But Baluta isn’t going to be a walk in the park for McCann. With a record of 16 wins and 4 losses, Baluta proved his mettle by securing the WBC International Silver belt in March. This came after a gripping face-off with Andrew Cain, which ended in a controversial decision. The anticipation for this fight is high, with tickets set to be available from June 21 on ticketmaster.co.uk.
Speaking to Josh Green of Seconds Out ahead of his fight with Dennis McCann at York Hall, Baluta says:
“I feel ready. I’ve done all the hard work, and I’ve got confidence in myself,” A determination echoed through each word, making one thing evident: Ion Balut doesn’t just train his body; he steels his mind.
“The work that we’ve done; we’ve worked hard and worked with strength. It’s all set for Friday night.”
“I’m not really looking at anything or Dennis McCann or whatever. I’m going to be as hard as the fight, and we’ll see on Friday night.”
What’s the real difference between a sparring session and an actual fight? To the untrained eye, it might seem like there’s none. But is that really the case? Ion comments, “Sparring is sparring, and fighting is fighting. It’s a different cup of tea.”
Discussing a past encounter with his upcoming opponent, Dennis McCann, in Marbella, he reminisces about a casual meeting that almost turned into a spontaneous brawl. In his own words, “It was a bit of back and forth. He [McCann] said, ‘We’re going to fight, let’s have it.’”
McCann has had a lot of media attention, but what does that mean for Balut? Does the hype around an opponent add pressure?
“I don’t care about what people say. I have no care about the hype. We’re going to get in there on Friday, and we’re gonna fight, and I’m gonna win.”
The event promises more than just this headliner. Also making an appearance is the reigning British and Commonwealth featherweight champion, Nathaniel Collins. He’s defending his titles against Raza Hamza, a boxer with a commendable record. The showdown between these two is bound to be exhilarating, especially since Collins clinched his titles after defeating James Beech Jr.
Ryan Garner, another boxing sensation from Southampton, will be vying for the vacant WBC International super featherweight title. This comes after his jaw-dropping win against Eduardo Valverde in May. Raven Chapman, known as the Queen of Queensberry, isn’t staying behind either. She’s all set to defend her WBC International featherweight title.
Adding to the excitement are rising stars like Umar Khan, Khalid Ali, Sonny Liston Ali, and Joel Kodua who are sure to put up a show and make the event unforgettable.
Frank Warren, the esteemed promoter, can hardly contain his excitement. He believes that this match-up between McCann and Baluta could be a significant milestone in McCann’s career, especially if he triumphs over Baluta. A win here could propel him to world title contention. Warren is also eagerly anticipating the performances of Collins, Hamza, and Garner. He firmly believes that this event at York Hall might be the most action-packed in recent history. So, if you’re a boxing aficionado, this is one event you won’t want to miss!
MCCANN BALUTA FIGHT CARD
The vacant WBO Intercontinental Super-Bantamweight Championship 10 x 3 Minute Rounds
Dennis McCann 121Ibs 7oz
Ionut Baluta 121Ibs 6oz
The British and Commonwealth Featherweight Championships 12 x 3 Minute Rounds
Nathaniel Collins 125lbs 7oz
Raza Hamza 126lbs
The vacant WBC International Super-Featherweight Championships 10 x 3 Minute Rounds
Ryan Garner 128lbs 3oz
Juan Jesus Antunez 129lbs 3oz
The WBC International Featherweight Championships 10 x 2 Minute Rounds
Raven Chapman 125lbs 7oz
Lila Furtado 123lbs 6oz
6 x 3 Minute Rounds International Featherweight Contest
Umar Khan 128lbs 8oz
Kevin Trana 127lbs 5oz
6 x 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Welterweight Contest
Khalid Ali 155lbs 7oz
Nikola Stoyanov 153lbs 5oz
6 x 3 Minute Rounds Super-Welterweight Contest
Joel Kodua 151lbs 9oz
Eligio Palacios 156lbs 6oz