Vasiliy Lomachenko travels to Australia to take on George Kambosos for the vacant IBF lightweight title on Sunday.
Devin Haney, previously undisputed at 135lbs, has moved up in weight and there are world titles up for grabs, with two men previously beaten by the American going head-to-head in Perth this weekend.
Lomachenko, 17-3 in the professional ranks after an sensational amateur career, has been out of the ring since his defeat to Haney a year ago, when many felt the Ukrainian, who broke down in tears after the bout, was unfortunate to lose on points.
The former-three weight world champion now gets a third shot at the IBF lightweight strap, having also fought for it in 2020 when he lost a unanimous decision to Teofimo Lopez.
Kambosos then beat Lopez a year later to become world champion himself, before he was comfortably second best in back-to-back undisputed bouts with Haney, despite having home advantage on both occasions.
The 30-year-old (23-2) made his return after those defeats against Briton Maxi Hughes in July last year, edging a majority decision to get his career back on track.
Victory for Lomachenko or Kambosos and they will be back among the elite of the division, but defeat could prove to be the end of the road for whoever does not have their hand lifted this weekend.
The pair had previously agreed to fight in 2022, but Lomachenko decided to stay in his home country with his family after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
LOMA & KAMBOSOS FACE-OFF FOR OVER 3 MINUTES 🍿🍿🍿#LomaKambosos | MAY 11 | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/AjiDkmhP20
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 9, 2024
Lomachenko vs Kambosos date, start time, venue and ring walks
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs George Kambosos takes place on Sunday May 12, 2024 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
The main undercard is due to start at 1am BST in the early hours of Sunday morning in the UK, with ring walks for the main event expected at around 4am. The exact timings are subject to change.
Lomachenko vs Kambosos fight card/undercard in full
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs George Kambosos Jr
Nina Hughes vs Cherneka Johnson
Andrew Moloney vs Pedro Guevara
Imam Khataev vs Ricards Bolotniks
Lucas Browne vs Hemi Ahio
Joe Goodall vs Djanago Opelu
How to watch Lomachenko vs Kambosos
TV channel: The fight will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action. Coverage begins at 3am BST on Sunday morning in the UK.
Live stream: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Sky Go app.
Lomachenko vs Kambosos prediction
It is a slight concern that Lomachenko has had just two fights since December 2021, with inactivity far from ideal for a fighter moving towards the end of a special career.
There have been questions over whether he is slowing down, but Lomachenko was hugely impressive against undisputed champion Haney and could well have got the decision on the night, making it clear he still has plenty to offer.
The Ukrainian does not rely on his power but he is technically exceptional, with his footwork and sharp combinations likely to prove a problem for the home favourite.
Kambosos will be roared on by thousands of Australian fans, but he cannot match Lomachenko if this turns into a tactical bout at distance. He will need to be aggressive in closing the distance and forcing the issue - that is much easier said than that.
While Kambosos pulled off that big shock against Lopez, he does not have the record to match Lomachenko’s. Since that win he has been well-beaten on two occasions by Haney and fairly underwhelming against Hughes, and while he is tough enough to take this bout the distance, it is very difficult to see him winning on points.
Lomachenko to win, unanimous decision.
Lomachenko vs Kambosos weigh-in
The fighters will take to the scales later on Friday - check back in then for the results!
Lomachenko vs Kambosos betting odds
Vasiliy Lomachenko to win: 1/7
George Kambosos to win: 9/2
Draw: 20/1
Vasiliy Lomachenko to win on points or by decision: 8/15
Vasiliy Lomachenko to win by knockout or technical knockout: 13/5
George Kambosos to win on points or by decision: 7/1
George Kambosos to win by knockout or technical knockout: 11/1
