David Light to fight Lawrence Okolie for WBO world cruiserweight title in March
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) confirmed the fight on Thursday.
A WBO statement said agreement had been reached between Team Okolie and Team Light for a fight in London on March 11.
Light – a 2014 Commonwealth Games heavyweight silver medallist nicknamed ‘The Great White’ – is unbeaten in 20 pro fights and has knocked out 12 opponents.
He won three bouts in 2022 after a 16-month layoff due to injury and the Covid-19 pandemic. Light dispatched two opponents with early-round knockouts and beat the previously unbeaten Brandon Glanton on points in a split decision in early December.
That upset victory in Plant City, Florida, in a world title eliminator earned Light a shot at Okolie’s crown.
The 31-year-old Aucklander will be a sizeable underdog against Okolie, 30, but Light is confident of upsetting the odds and becoming the first Kiwi world champion since Joseph Parker won the vacant WBO heavyweight title against Andy Ruiz Jr in Auckland in 2016.
A 2016 British Olympian, Okolie won the vacant WBO cruiserweight title in 2021, making a statement against the highly-rated Pole Krzysztof Glowacki with a sixth-round knockout.
London-born Okolie has since defended his title twice, most recently last February, with a win over another Polish fighter, Michal Cieślak, via unanimous points decision.
Okolie has said he expects Light to deliver “one of my toughest fights’’.
“I'm looking forward to it. I've known about David Light for a number of years,” Okolie recently told iFL TV.
“I was meant to box him back in 2020, but he said no, he's going to make himself mandatory and he's gone ahead and done it, beaten some good guys on the way, a couple of undefeated fighters.
“So he's now 20-0, from Australia (sic), and I'm looking forward to the challenge. Good boxer ... like I said, I like his style, so it will be interesting to see how we match up."
Known as ‘The Sauce’, Okolie has ambitions to move up to heavyweight but first plans to unify the cruiserweight division.
He has split with Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, his promoter since turning pro in 2017, and has linked with Boxxer, who will promote the Light fight.
The WBO statement said it had “confirmed email communication by Mr. Themba Smith, on behalf of Team Okolie confirming receipt of the negotiation notice and advising that Matchroom Boxing was no longer Okolie's promoter.”
