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Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Belfast boxer set for history-making night in front of BBC cameras

Belfast boxer Kristina O’Hara-McCafferty will be thrust under a massive spotlight on Friday night.

The minimumweight fighter is part of the 'Women Of Steel' card at the Magna Centre in Rotherham.

The Unified Promotions event is the first-ever female fight card broadcast by the BBC.

Read more: Cacace sets out world title stall and calls on Warren to 'make it happen'

O’Hara-McCafferty has eased to a perfect record of 2-0 since turning professional, and tonight she takes on Judit Hachbold (5-16) in her latest outing.

It will be the first time the Commonwealth Games medallist has stepped up to six rounds, and she has also had to contend with an opponent change after Brenda Balderas Martinez pulled out after securing a world title shot.

Hachbold will still present a stern test for former St John Bosco amateur O’Hara-McCafferty, with the 29-year-old Hungarian having previously fought for a European title twice, and she has only been stopped once.

O'Hara-McCafferty told IrishBoxing.com: “Judit has had over 20 fights, has boxed for two European titles and is a very experienced fighter.

"I expect her to bring her A-game but I know what we’ve done this camp and I know what I’m capable of.”

On closing in on a potential title fight of her own so early in her career, she added: “I’m not really thinking about that at the minute.

“That’s something that the team can decide when they think I’m ready. I will say I will fight anyone, who they put in front of me. That’s what boxing is all about. I have no doubt I will be a world champion someday but I’ll take it every fight at a time, I can’t jump the gun or overlook anyone."

Friday night's fight will be great exposure for O'Hara-McCafferty with a massive audience set to tune into the BBC to watch the card.

Susannah Schofield of Unified Promotions said: "The BBC hasn’t shown boxing for a very long time, so I feel very humbled and honoured to be able to put a pilot on for them and see where it goes. There are exciting times ahead.

"The BBC [showing fights] will help normalise women’s boxing. We want to make sure that women get fairly paid and to make sure that we offer, as I say, a place of wellbeing and safeguarding for those sports, so to be able to normalise that on such a platform is exciting."

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