Ben Whittaker faces Braian Nahuel Suarez on Saturday, April 18, live from M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. The two fighters square off in a light heavyweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds. The contest replaced the original main event after Callum Smith was injured and forced to withdraw from his fight against David Morrell.
Whittaker (10-0-1, 7 KOs) of the UK comes off two stoppage victories over Benjamin Gavazi and Liam Cameron last year. Suarez (21-4, 20 KOs) of Argentina won his previous bout last November by TKO against Sergio Santos.
On the Whittaker vs. Suarez undercard, London’s Molly McCann (3-0, 1 KO) meets Ashleigh Johnson (3-3) of Wales in an eight-round super bantamweight bout.
A 10-round super bantamweight clash features Joe McGrail (12-0, 5 KOs) facing Aaron Hayden (10-0, 2 KOs) for the Central Area and WBA Continental Gold belts.
The main card opener is a six-round heavyweight matchup between Britain’s Leo Atang (5-0, 5 KOs) and Viktar Chvarkou (6-32, 3 KOs).
Whittaker vs Suarez results
Main card
- Ben Whittaker def. Braian Nahuel Suarez by KO (R1, 2:24) | Watch video
- Molly McCann def. Ashleigh Johnson by points (78-74) | Watch video
- Joe McGrail def. Aaron Hayden by KO (R5, 2:22)
- Leo Atang def. Viktar Chvarkou by points (59-54)
Prelims
- Stephen Clarke def. Luis Enrique Montelongo Morales by points (78-73)
- Jack Power def. Novak Radulovic by TKO (R6, 1:37)
- Sam Norris def. Jahfieus Faure by points (40-36)
- Tom Rafferty def. Pablo Sosa by RTD (R3, 3:00)
Whittaker vs Suarez live blog
Post-Fight Press Conference
The post-fight press conference wraps up the event.
Ben Whittaker drops & stops Braian Nahuel Suarez in first round
Ben Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs) defeats Braian Nahuel Suarez (21-5, 20 KOs) by first-round KO at light heavyweight. The stoppage came at 2:24 of the round.
Whittaker dropped Suarez with a right hand, and he was unable to get back to his feet as the referee counted him out.
Molly McCann defeats Ashleigh Johnson by points
Molly McCann (4-0, 1 KO) defeats Ashleigh Johnson (3-4) via a 78-74 points decision at super bantamweight.
Video: Joe McGrail drops Aaron Hayden with body shot
Watch the video featuring Joe McGrail as he lands a body shot to stop Aaron Hayden in the fifth round.
Joe McGrail KOs Aaron Hayden in fifth round
Joe McGrail (13-0, 6 KOs) defeats Aaron Hayden (10-1, 2 KOs) by fifth-round knockout with a body shot at super bantamweight. The stoppage came at 2:22 of the round.
With the victory, McGrail claims the Central Area and WBA Continental Gold titles.
Leo Atang defeats Viktar Chvarkou by points
In the main card opener, Leo Atang (6-0, 5 KOs) defeats Viktar Chvarkou (6-33, 3 KOs) via a 59-54 points decision at heavyweight. In the fourth round, Atang was deducted a point for use of the head.
How to watch and start time
Whittaker vs. Suarez airs live on DAZN, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET in the U.S. and 7:00 p.m. BST in the UK.
The free prelims start at 12:00 p.m. ET and 5:00 p.m. BST.
The blog feed with live results and highlights will cover the main card.
You can watch the free prelims below, with results added as the stream ends.