Ben Whittaker Retains WBC Silver Light Heavyweight Title, Defeats Conor Wallace In Dramatic Birmingham Thriller!

By: Ian Webb

Saturday, October 3rd, Utilita Arena Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom: in the main event of a Eddie Hearn - Matchroom Boxing event streamed live on DAZN, Ben "the Surgeon" Whittaker retained his WBC Silver Light Heavyweight title and secured a major step toward a world title opportunity by defeating Conor Wallace via unanimous decision in a dramatic 12-round battle at Utilita Arena Birmingham. In a contest that also served as an IBF light heavyweight final eliminator, Whittaker controlled much of the fight with his trademark speed, movement, accuracy and defensive ability before being forced to withstand a furious late rally from Wallace. The judges scored the contest 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113, all in favor of Whittaker, who improved to 13-0-1 with nine knockouts and emerged as the mandatory challenger for the IBF light heavyweight championship. Wallace, who entered the contest riding a lengthy winning streak and carrying a reputation as one of the division's most dangerous contenders, rallied strongly in the championship rounds and badly troubled Whittaker in the closing stages, but the Birmingham favorite had built a sufficient lead over the opening rounds to secure the unanimous decision. Whittaker's victory keeps him unbeaten and preserves his WBC Silver crown while positioning him for a future shot at the unified light heavyweight championship.

Whittaker entered the contest as the reigning WBC Silver champion after capturing the title in November 2025 with a first-round stoppage of Benjamin Gavazi and successfully defending it against Richard Rivera earlier in 2026. The Birmingham native, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist, produced another polished performance through much of the contest against Wallace, a Newry-born southpaw who developed his professional career in Australia. Wallace's pressure intensified in the latter stages, particularly in the 10th and 12th rounds, but Whittaker survived the late danger to hear the final bell and add another significant victory to his professional résumé. With the IBF eliminator at stake, the result also elevated Whittaker into mandatory-challenger position for the IBF light heavyweight championship.

Bilal Fawaz successfully defended his BBBofC British Super Welterweight title  stopping Eithan James in the eighth round. Fawaz ended the contest at 1:14 of the eighth round after James was dropped for the second time, giving the champion his first professional stoppage victory. Fawaz improved to 13-1-1 with five knockouts, while James suffered his first professional defeat and moved to 17-3. The victory strengthened Fawaz's position in the British super-welterweight picture and capped a decisive championship performance.

The championship action on the undercard delivered several significant results. Hamza Uddin captured the British and vacant Commonwealth Flyweight title with an eighth-round technical knockout of Sean Bruce. Uddin dropped Bruce three times during the contest before referee Victor Loughlin halted the fight at 2:49 of the eighth round, handing Uddin the biggest victory of his young professional career. The 23-year-old Birmingham-area prospect improved to 8-0 with five knockouts, while Bruce fell to 8-3. The British title had been held by Bruce entering the contest, while the Commonwealth championship was vacant, making the bout a two-title opportunity for Uddin.

Ibraheem Sulaimaan retained his BBBofC English Super Featherweight title with a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Sonny Hardy. Sulaimaan prevailed on scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 96-93 over the scheduled 10 rounds to remain unbeaten at 12-0 with five knockouts, while Hardy suffered the first defeat of his professional career and dropped to 12-1 with five knockouts. Sulaimaan was deducted a point for holding in the seventh round but maintained control of the contest sufficiently to earn the decision and keep his English title.

The preliminary championship contest produced another title change as Aaron Bowen defeated Klinton Baptiste by unanimous decision to capture the Midlands Area Super-Middleweight Championship. Bowen won the 10-round contest by scores of 99-91, 99-92 and 98-92, improving his record to 9-1 with six knockouts and handing Baptiste his first professional defeat. Baptiste entered the contest unbeaten but finished the night at 5-1.

The remaining undercard featured a series of stoppage victories and a hard-fought points win. Adam Maca stopped Rogger Rivera at 2:56 of the second round in their six-round super-featherweight contest, improving to 7-0 with six knockouts. Harley Burrows also remained unbeaten, stopping Matias Ezequiel Herrera at 1:24 of the second round in their six-round middleweight bout to move to 3-0 with two knockouts. Lightweight, Paige Murney returned to action with a four-round points victory over Linzi Buczynskyj, earning a 38-37 decision and improving her unbeaten record to 5-0. Murney had been inactive since March 2024 after recovering from an ACL injury and marked her return with a competitive victory.

Opening the professional portion of the card, Liverpool, super welterweight, Odel Kamara made a successful professional debut by stopping Thodoris Ritzakis at 2:53 of the third round in their scheduled four-round super-welterweight contest. Kamara's victory provided an emphatic beginning to his professional career, while Ritzakis moved to 5-6-1 following the stoppage.

The Birmingham event, promoted by Matchroom Boxing and streamed live on DAZN, produced an action-packed night featuring two major British championship victories, a regional title change, several promising unbeaten prospects and, at the top of the bill, Whittaker's successful WBC Silver title defense. With his unanimous decision over Wallace, Whittaker left Utilita Arena with his championship intact and his position firmly established as a mandatory challenger on the world-title stage.