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We’ve seen some tumult, but Saturday’s Dubai card on AXS is going to happen. Hours after John Riel Casimero withdrew from his title defense against Paul Butler due to what his team described as “viral gastritis,” the WBO agreed to allow Paul Butler and replacement Joseph Agbeko fight for an interim version of the bantamweight title.
Casimero disappeared before the weigh-in and there was some thought he was going to miss weight. The WBO has ordered him to provide proof of his medical issue and that it was not a dodge. If he can’t, he’ll likely be stripped of his title and we could see the Butler-Agbeko winner elevated to regular champ.
The card features three other title fights, including Sunny Edwards vs. Jayson Mama for the IBF flyweight title and Donnie Nietes vs. Norbelto Jimenez for the WBO junior bantamweight title.
The fight will take place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The card gets started at 11 a.m. ET.
Full Card for Paul Butler vs. Joseph Agbeko
- Main event: Paul Butler vs. Joseph Agbeko, for the vacant WBO interim bantamweight title
- Title fight: Sunny Edwards vs. Jayson Mama for the IBF flyweight title
- Title fight: Donnie Nietes vs. Norbelto Jimenez for the WBO junior bantamweight title
- Jono Carroll vs. Aelio Mesquita, junior lightweights
- Title fight: Hasibullah Ahmadi vs. Nadir Baloch for WBC Asian Boxing Council feathweweight
- Rohan Date vs. Kelvin Dotel, welterweights
- Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Julio Cesar Calimeno, heavyweights
- Anthony de Bruijn vs. Diego Valtierra, super featherweights
- Sultan Al Nuaimi vs. Sahil Rahman, super flyweights
- Fahad Al Bloushi vs. Kamarudeen Boyefio, super featherweights