Francesca Hennessy faces Aurora De Persio on May 30 at the OVO Arena Wembley in London. The contest serves as the co-feature to Azim vs Claggett, live on BBC Two and BBC Player. Hennessy puts her WBC Silver bantamweight title on the line.
- Hennessy (8-0, 1 KO) of England makes the first defense of her belt after defeating Ellie Bouttell by decision in January.
- De Persio (8-1, 3 KOs) of Italy aims for her sixth win in a row, having defeated Chloe Elizabeth Smith by third-round TKO last June.
“I’m really excited to be back fighting on the BBC,” Hennessy said. “The support has been unbelievable and every time I fight, I want to put on a big performance for everyone watching at home and in the arena.”
“This is another important test for me. I’ve always wanted to challenge myself against good opponents because that’s what will prepare me for world title fights.”
“I know what I want to achieve in this sport and every fight is another step towards becoming world champion. I’m staying focused, improving every camp and I can’t wait to put on a show on May 30.”
Claggett vs Azim undercard
Also announced for the Claggett vs Azim undercard is a welterweight bout between defending English champion Joel Kodua (11-0, 3 KOs) and challenger Will Harrison (8-0-2).
Plus, Albania’s Juergen Uldedaj (21-1, 8 KOs) defends his IBO cruiserweight belt against Muhsin Cason (14-0, 11 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland.
The preliminary action features heavyweights Ergal Elezaj (5-0, 1 KO) and Derrick Osadolor (0-1) in separate bouts, featherweight Abdul Khan (14-0, 3 KOs), welterweight Oscar McCracken (5-0), lightweight Saqib Mehmood (2-0), and bantamweight Vijayraj Karia (6-0, 1 KO).
Their respective opponents, along with the finalized fight card, are expected to be announced shortly.
The main event is a super lightweight bout between unbeaten British-Pakistani Adam Azim (14-0, 11 KOs) and former title challenger Steve Claggett (40-8-2, 28 KOs) of Canada.