AFTER their controversial first fight, when Robson Conceicao somehow won a split decision over O’Shaquie Foster in Newark in July, an immediate rematch was ordered. Before they face off again, we take a look at their best wins so far.

O’SHAQUIE FOSTER TOP 3 WINS

Vs Abraham Nova, 16/02/24, Modern York – W SD 12

This wasn’t Foster at his best, and rival Abraham Nova certainly made it a lot more challenging than many expected. However, in his second defense of the WBC super featherweight title, Foster proved his durability, crashing the fight despite suffering a bicep injury in the fifth round at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. He started slowly, but continued to rack up rounds in the second half of the fight and even knocked down Nova in the 12th to seal the victory.

Vs Eduardo Hernandez, 28/10/24, Cancun – W TKO 12

It was as dramatic as possible. At the start of the 12th round, challenger Rocky Hernandez appeared to be on his way to an upset victory in Cancun. Foster knew he needed a knockout to leave Mexico with his belt, so he kept the pressure on, looking for it. He defeated Hernandez, who was riding a six-fight win streak by knockout, twice in the 12th with just 29 seconds left, Foster making it to the finish when another huge wave forced Hector Afu into the action. As it happened, Foster was tough at the time of the stoppage on two of the three cards.

Vs Rey Vargas, 11/02/23, San Antonio – WUD 12

While his first defense against Hernandez was a last-gasp madness, Rey Vargas’ victory and the world title showed just how well Foster could take control of a fight and not let it get out of hand. Vargas was 36-0 before he faced the Texan and was a slight favorite among bookmakers, but Foster started the match quickly and didn’t let it go to waste. “I didn’t think it was close,” he said after the judges scored it 117-111, 119-109 and 116-112. “But my coaches encouraged me not to let off the gas and not to get any closer to the finish line. I wanted to close the program.”

ROBSON CONCEICAO TOP 3 WINS

Vs Eduardo Reis, 29/08/2020, Sao Paulo – W TKO 2
Difficult hitting Eduardo Reis had 19 knockouts out of 24 wins before he faced Robson Conceicao in the Brazilian derby in Sao Paulo. And while he wasn’t expected to win here, it was suggested he might give the Olympic gold medalist food for thought. But he didn’t do it. Instead, Conceicao tackled his compatriot three times before the referee stopped him 28 seconds into the second.

Vs Luis Coria, 31/10/2023, Las Vegas – WUD 10
Dominating almost every round of every fight en route to a 14-0 record, he had something more to prove against Luis Coria in an unexpected and bloody war with the American. It wasn’t Conceicao’s best performance, but after a tough fall in the second round, it proved a lot about his fortitude and determination. Referee Mike Ortega deducted points twice, but he refused to give up, biting the rubber guard and trading with Coria. In the end, all three judges gave it to Conceicao in a fight that would have left a weaker man wilting.

Vs Xavier Martinez, 29/1/2022, Tulsa – W UD 10
It was Conceicao’s return to the ring after losing his undefeated record to Oscar Valdez four months earlier, and it reminded him of his talent. He felt tough after the decision to lose to Valdez and said he used the disappointment to fuel him in this fight – and it showed. Martinez was 17-0 at the time, but the Brazilian looked like he was in a different league as he put in his career-best performance and clearly won all three cards. “I was able to dominate that night because I put in so much work and was motivated,” Conceicao said. “I know I should be champion. I know I beat Oscar Valdez.”

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – JULY 5: O’Shaquie Foster (left) faces Robson Conceicao of Brazil (right) during the weigh-in for their WBC Jr. world title fight. lightweight at the Prudential Center on July 5, 2024 in Newark, Modern Jersey. (Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

RECENTLY in Belfast, hundreds of people packed the Europa Hotel’s banquet hall for Carl Frampton’s testimonial evening.

It was moving, fun, crowded, and just before it started, as everyone sat down, Kiko Martinez arrived. It was a good evening and a great entry for the icon of Spanish boxing and the horse-loving cowboy.

Frampton and Martinez shared the ring twice and each of the 21 rounds was fierce, bloody and heavy. They both ended up with scars, bruises and stitches. Now they hug like long lost friends; It’s not uncommon in our industry for fighters who have shared so much to be given this level of respect, but the Frampton-Martinez pairing is unique.

“He’s the toughest man I’ve ever fought,” Frampton said. “I was always amazed when people thought the rematch would be easy – in the first fight, when he went down, I prayed he wouldn’t get up and keep fighting.”

The first fight in 2013 ended in the ninth round; It was during the Odyssey – one of those nights that people remember vividly – and Frampton won the European super bantamweight title in one of his favorite rings.

In 2007, Kiko went to the Point in Dublin as a huge underdog to fight for the same title against Bernard Dunne. It happened from ringside one night and was also Dunne’s third defense in that stadium. He was a huge star and Kiko, a sixteen-fight unknown from Spain, was easy to touch. The evening was packed with Irish boxers; Andy Lee, Brian Magee and Matt Macklin. And then there was Dunne against the Spaniard – the world title was already ready, just an easy victory was enough.

It lasted only 86 seconds. Dunne was dropped and stopped twice. I remember the wildest of Martinez and his team’s wildest celebrations that night. Dunne and the crowd gathered at the Point could only watch in shock and amazement. And silence, it’s worth adding. Two years later Dunne won the world title and Point was a carnival of joy that evening.

Meanwhile, Martinez traveled to the Harvey Hadden Sports Center in Nottingham a few months later and lost the title to Rendall Munroe in a difficult decision. This should probably be Martinez’s last contact with Irish and British boxers. No way, it was just an extraordinary start.

“I think he is the greatest Spanish boxer of all time,” Frampton added. “Just look at what he did and where he had to go to fight. His record is absurd.” Frampton is right, it’s ridiculous.

Every word of praise spoken on Friday night was delicately translated directly into Martinez’s ear by Rickie Pow, a former professional and now agent and specialist based in Alicante. Martinez smiled, laughed and raised his hand at appropriate moments. He is a classy man and behaves with dignity.

After losing to Munroe in 2008, Martinez returned to Dublin and scored a few easy wins before losing to Munroe again in Barnsley. In 2010, he regained the European title, defeating Arsen Martirosyan in Dublin. A year later, he stopped Jason Booth in the bullring in Leganes. The following year he scored a six-round victory at the Belfast Saloon; in 2013 he lost to Frampton. And then his career is really crazy.

“When I beat him, he went and won the world title away from home,” Frampton continued. “He went and defeated the undefeated Jonathan Romero for the world title in Atlantic City and then defended the title in Japan. I knew he wasn’t coming back to Belfast to lose – he was coming back to take revenge.

At my table, across from me, Pow continued his comment in a steady whisper, and Martinez just nodded. Frampton became emotional when talking about his great rival. By the way, there was complete silence in the ballroom, and that happens less and less often.

The fight night on the Titanic with Frampton and Martinez ten years ago was epic. A shortened version of it was shown and it was even better than I remembered. Martinez stood with Frampton at the end of the short and received a standing ovation. He seemed a bit overwhelmed by the love that surrounded him in the room.

And then on stage, Frampton shook his head and laughed. “Kiko is not finished,” he added. And that’s an understatement.

Martinez lost to Scott Quigg in an old-fashioned shootout in 2015, then took a hard decision to Josh Warrington in Leeds, and then in 2021, when it seemed like his long, long career was coming to an end, he was defeated within twelve rounds at Wembley by Zelfa Barrett. It was Martinez’s 53rd fight, his 18th year as a professional, but he wasn’t finished and found himself in another British ring just a few months later.

Frampton just smiled. “And then he came back and knocked out Kid Galahad to win the world featherweight title. It was unbelievable.” Hosted by Frampton, Europa Night quickly became a Kiko Martinez tribute night. He certainly deserves one.

Martinez lost the title in a brutal and grueling fight against Warrington in Leeds. It was a wild fight. Later in 2022, Martinez went down and stopped Jordan Gill. No top-class boxer has fought in the UK and Ireland as many times as Kiko Martinez. His fighting left a lasting legacy in Britain and Ireland that may not be shared by the Spanish.

“It was an honor to share a ring with him,” Frampton concluded. It was an honor to be at his table.

It’s just over two and a half years since former professional boxer and now promoter Izzy Asif and GBM Sports staged their first ever promotion at the Magna Center in Rotherham.

Since then, the promotional company has grown significantly. By signing partnership agreements with DAZN and Talksport, it has gained the position of a leading company dealing in the promotion of tiny halls.

For boxers, activity is key, and for those who are just developing, the GBM platform is ideal.

This week I interviewed Murtaza Nadeem (3-0, 2 KO), Arlo Stephens (2-0, 1 KO) and Edward Hardy (1-0) to learn first-hand the impact the company has on the lives of fighters and to learn about their professional careers.

Murtaza Nadeem

In his last appearance, 24-year-old super middleweight Nadeem impressively knocked out the experienced Adam Cieślak in just one round. He said of his performance: “I was very placid, I liked it and I feel like I broke through a wall.”

In his youth, he fought 20 amateur fights, then gave up the sport for nine years to devote himself to CrossFit. Since returning to sports, Nadeem has had to adapt to a completely different diet. “CrossFit was about eating as much as possible. I would be at 5-6 thousand. calories a day,” he said. “I’m on a $3,000 meal plan now. and honestly, I’ve been starving lately!”

After a long break from the sport, the man known as “The Butcher” was fully aware of what it would look like in the eyes of promoters. Speaking about Izzy and GBM signing, he said: “They took a huge risk and it paid off for both them and me.”

Talking about where he wants to go in his career, Nadeem said, “You want to reach the top. When you look at Beterbiev and Triple G, it’s not so much about them winning world titles, but how they do it. I want to be able to do it, I just want to be so much better than everyone else.

Arlo Stephens

After an extensive amateur career, the 28-year-old heavyweight entered the professional ranks with great enthusiasm. In his first fight he secured a points victory, and in his second fight he scored a fantastic knockout in the first round. Talking about his last performance, he said: “It felt like my amateur days, it was great.”

While boxing can be lucrative for those at the top, it’s common for those just starting out not to pursue the sport full-time. In addition to boxing, Stephens is an occupational therapist focusing on mental health. Talking about how he manages to juggle the two professions, Stephens (pictured below) said: “It’s exhausting. I get up at six to train, at eight to work, and then after work I train again.

“The plan is to box full-time. The more fights I have, the more likely it will become possible.”

He said of his aspirations: “If I hadn’t won the British title, I wouldn’t have thought I’d achieved much. This is no disrespect to the British title; I just feel like I have all the talent and work ethic to get there.

Edward Hardy

The 22-year-old from Doncaster (pictured below) started his career last month by defeating the lively Engel Gomez on points. Reflecting on his performance, Ed said: “I’m really elated with my performance, everything went according to plan and it’s just nice to have my first performance behind me.”

In his first fight he fought in the super featherweight division, but he said that he was actually in the super bantamweight division and that is where he would fight in his second fight.

The man known as “Farm Boy” has lived and worked on a farm his entire life and still combines it with boxing. “Honestly, maintaining balance isn’t that bad. My family supports me very much, and my dad gives me a few hours off every day to train,” he said. “As I move forward in my career, I would like to always be involved in the farm in one way or another.”

Hardy also has a enormous following, which may prove to be too much pressure for many fighters. However, he said: “It was weird because I was nervous in the dressing rooms, but when I got out there and heard everyone shouting, I was pretty placid and didn’t really feel any pressure.”

Like all juvenile players, he is very ambitious. He said: “I want to become world champion and win as many titles as possible.”

Finally, he said, “I feel really lucky to have gotten signed to GBM and Izzy.”

Their careers have only just begun, but with GBM’s support, the future looks glowing for all three.

On his social media account, Izzy stated that in a year he would like to have a stable full of players competing at the world level. His fighters reflect his aspirations for the promotional company.

“They (GBM) could go anywhere. I don’t think other tiny venue promoters have the same experience as Izzy and his team,” Nadeem said.

Stephens said: “They (GBM) are just flying. The performances are of the same quality as Matchroom and Queensbury.

“If Izzy keeps pushing, I don’t see why they can’t make it to the top,” Hardy said.

Izzy, GBM, Nadeem, Stephens and Hardy will return on December 7 for the “A Storm is Coming” event.