Ben Whittaker fought Braian Suarez at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on Saturday, April 18, winning by first-round knockout to improve his professional record to 11-0-1. The Olympic silver medalist replaced Callum Smith as the main event after Smith withdrew due to injury, though the specific nature of the ailment has not been disclosed. Smith was originally scheduled to headline the card in a light-heavyweight title eliminator against David Morrell. The late change led to empty seats in the arena, though the exact number and total attendance have not been confirmed.
Whittaker, aged 28, brought a strong recent form into the bout, having scored a first-round knockout of Benjamin Gavazi in November. He also had a draw with Liam Cameron in late 2024, which was followed by a second-round stoppage win in a 2025 rematch. Suarez, aged 34, entered with a second-round TKO victory over Sergio Santos Dantas in November, but his overall record and career details beyond this fight have not been specified.
We've got to get it right.
The fight was streamed live on DAZN, with the undercard featuring Molly McCann vs Ashleigh Johnson, Joe McGrail vs Aaron Hayden, and Leo Atang vs Viktor Chvarkou. McCann won her fight against Johnson by points, improving her professional boxing record to 4-0, though the official judges' scores have not been released. The outcomes of the other undercard bouts have not been detailed, and further results or highlights from the event are not available.
Looking ahead, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn emphasized the need to carefully plan Whittaker's next steps, stating they need to get his world title shot right. Some fans and critics are calling for Whittaker to face tougher opponents, but the exact nature of his next opponent or world title shot plans is not yet known, and no specific dates or opponents have been announced.
The event was available through DAZN, with a DAZN Ultimate subscription including at least 12 PPV events per year and over 185 fight nights. The subscription costs £24.99 per month or £249.99 annually, though additional details on regional availability or other subscription tiers have not been provided.