The 2026 boxing calendar kicked off in style with Shakur Stevenson putting his name into the pound-for-pound competition, while both Dalton Smith and Josh Kelly recorded upset title victories to become Britain’s newest world champions.

Now the year is in full swing and we’re in for another month of twists and title changes when February rolls around, with six men’s world title fights lined up. In this piece, Boxing News takes a look at each of these contests ahead of what is sure to be an stimulating continuation of the drama we witnessed in January.

February 6: Christian Medina vs. Adrian Curiel – WBO bantamweight title (DAZN)

Junto Nakatani’s promotion to super bantamweight caused him to leave the WBC and WBO bantamweight brackets, and the WBC belt was taken by Takuma Inoue and Christian Medina, which upset Yoshiki Takei and won him the WBO title.

On Friday night, Medina will look for his first title defense when he clashes with Adrian Curiel in a thrilling all-Mexico fight in his hometown of Guadalajara, hoping for a sixth straight victory at the distance.

With 30 fights under his belt, at the age of just 25, Medina looked much better against Takei last fight, and another dominant performance in that fight could see him seen as the man to beat in a bantamweight division brimming with Japanese talent.

While Curiel has scored surprising victories in the past, he is best known for his stunning knockout of Sivenathi Nontshinga in Monte Carlo in 2023, which won him the IBF delicate heavyweight crown.

February 7: Nick Ball vs. Brandon Figueroa – WBA featherweight title (DAZN)

Nick Ball defeated Ray Ford to become the WBA featherweight champion in June 2024, and the Liverpudlian has defended the belt three times since then, apparently waiting for a fight with Pound-for-Pound star Naoya Inoue rather than unification.

This Saturday, Ball returns to his toughest title defense to date, returning to his homeland against former unified super bantamweight ruler Brandon Figueroa at Echo Arena, looking to overcome the disadvantage of his seven-inch height and rebound from a somewhat controversial victory over Sam Goodman.

As for Figueroa, after an eye-catching few years, he had a successful 2025, losing in a rematch against Stephen Fulton and a disappointing one against Joet Gonzalez. However, if the Texan can rediscover the form that accompanied the rematch with Fulton, there is a good chance that he will be able to win on the road.

February 21: Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka – WBA super lightweight title (DAZN PPV)

On the Barrios-Garcia card, Gary Antuanne Russell and Andy Hiraoka will finally meet for the third time after Pacquiao-Barrios and Jake Paul-Gervonta Davis had their fights canceled after the fight was ordered last April.

Russell dethroned Jose Valenzuela to become champion a month prior to the order in a one-sided victory, but will have to wait nearly a year of inactivity before fighting Hiraoka, who hasn’t fought alone since September 2024.

The winner will likely be determined by who has handled that passivity better, and the affair will prove whether the Japanese-Ghanaian challenger is truly the bogeyman some fight fans make him out to be.

February 21: Richardson Hitchins vs. Oscar Duarte – IBF super lightweight title (DAZN PPV)

Current IBF super lightweight champion Richardson Hitchins believes he is the outstanding fighter in the competitive 140-pound division, and the undefeated Brooklynite returns to action in a tough defense against Oscar Duarte in the second fight of the night at Barrios-Garcia.

Hitchins picked up his first knockout victory in five fights when he last stopped George Kambosos Jr in his first title defense, but the tough and in-form Duarte will certainly pose a more grave challenge.

“La Migrana” (The Migraine) proved to be a headache for his last four foes, racking up a quartet of victories in well-chosen contests to earn a maiden shot at world honors in his 34th fight.

If Hitchins is the fighter he claims to be, he should have no problem defeating Duarte, but any chinks in the armor will surely be exploited by a contender who will look to defeat Hitchins and take advantage of his chance at the throne.

February 21: Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia – WBC welterweight title (DAZN PPV)

February’s most anticipated event is headlined by global superstar Ryan Garcia, who is trying to finally become a world champion despite competing at an elite level for half a decade.

“King Ry” had no chance of winning the world title against Rolando Romero last May after: one-year ban from practicing sportsand it remains to be seen whether this performance was an unsuccessful evening or whether Garcia has become a shadow of the fighter he once was.

The Californian is fighting for Mario Barrios’ WBC crown, and “El Azteca” hopes to win his first world title contest since 2020, after advancing to the title in June 2024 and defending the belt twice after draws with Abel Ramos and Manny Pacquiao.

While Barrios is a worthy titleholder, another loss for Garcia will confirm his demise in a fight that will surely have reverberations throughout the sport as Conor Benn waits for a shot at the winner.

February 28: Emanuel Navarrete vs. Eduardo Nunez – WBO and IBF super featherweight titles (DAZN)

February begins with an all-Mexico clash in Mexico and ends with a clash in the United States, with Emanuel Navarrete and Eduardo Nunez going head to head in a drool-worthy affair that probably won’t require referees.

“Sugar” Nunez earned his first card victory when he defeated Masanori Rikiishi for his 28th career success, winning the IBF super featherweight title in Japan last May. He repeated this unfamiliar feeling with another points victory over Christopher Diaz and defense of the belt three months later.

However, Navarrete has only won one of his last four fights, but remains the WBO super featherweight champion; drawing with Robson Conceicao to retain the belt, losing to Denys Berinchyk for the lightweight title, stopping Oscar Valdez, and then competing in a disputed no-contest against Charly Suarez.

Nunez’s win could usher in a fresh era on the 130-pound scene, but Navarrete is able to put it together with the best when he’s fit and energized, making this a potential contender of the year.