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Michael
Conlan vs. Ionut Baluta & Moruti Mthalane vs. Sunny Edwards
Set For April 30 On ESPN+
The London spotlight will shine on Belfast's Michael “Mick”
Conlan and South African great Moruti Mthalane from Copper
Box Arena on Friday, April 30.
Mthalane, who is undefeated since 2008, will defend his IBF
flyweight world title in the main event against London
native Sunny Edwards. In the co-feature, longtime
featherweight contender Conlan will make his junior
featherweight debut in a 12-rounder against noted spoiler
Ionut Baluta.
Promoted by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, Mthalane-Edwards
and Conlan-Baluta will stream live and exclusively in the
United States on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. Undercard
bouts are scheduled to begin live on ESPN+ starting at 2
p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.
“This is a big step up for Mick, as Baluta has pulled off
quite a few upsets and is motivated to do so once again,”
said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Mick is close to a world
title shot, and I expect him to be at his very best April
30. I am also pleased that American fight fans will have an
opportunity to watch the sensational Mthalane, who is in
tough against the young Edwards.”
Conlan (14-0, 8 KOs) is back after a disappointing 2020 that
started with the COVID-related cancellation of his annual
St. Patrick’s Day bout in New York and ended with an ankle
injury suffered while training in November. He knocked out
former world title challenger Sofiane Takoucht last August
and now sets his focus on the junior featherweight division.
He is ranked No. 1 by the WBO and No. 8 by the WBA, and he
could be in line for a world title shot with a victory over
Baluta (14-2, 3 KOs), a Romanian who is used to overcoming
long odds. Last March, Baluta stunned former junior
featherweight world champion TJ Doheny via eight-round
unanimous decision, and six months later, he knocked out
Conlan’s 2016 Irish Olympic teammate Davey Oliver Joyce in
the third round.
Conlan said, "I'm very excited to get back in the ring
against Ionut Baluta on April 30. I know how tough of a
fighter Baluta is, but I've been training hard since shortly
after my last win in August and will be well prepared for
victory. I'm looking forward to putting on a great show and
can't wait to get back in the ring."
Mthalane, 38, won his first world title in November 2009
with a unanimous decision over Julio Cesar Miranda for the
vacant IBF crown. He cemented his world-class status with
successful defenses over countryman Zolani Tete (TKO 5) and
current WBO bantamweight world champion John Riel Casimero
(TKO 5). He reclaimed the IBF world title in July 2017 with
a narrow decision win over Muhammad Waseem and has since
defeated a trio of Japanese challengers: Masahiro Sakamoto
(TKO 10), Masayuki Kuroda (UD) and Akira Yaegashi (TKO 9).
Edwards (15-0, 4 KOs) has fought his last two bouts at
junior bantamweight, but he returns to flyweight for a crack
at one of boxing’s most celebrated champions. He last fought
at flyweight in September 2019, dominating Rosendo Hugo
Guarneros to win the vacant IBF International and WBO
Intercontinental straps.
"Moruti is the most criminally underrated fighter, having
not lost in 13 years, and he is a proper, proper threat,"
Edwards said. "This is no gimme or easy world title fight —
it is very, very far from that. I asked for this fight and,
if you look back at press conferences or interviews, you can
see that I have wanted it for some time. In my head, this is
what was coming to me and it is finally here, and I have got
what I wanted.”
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