Skye Nicolson Decisions Raven Chapman to Retain Featherweight World Title
Skye Nicolson (12-0, 1 KO) and her elusiveness allowed the Australian to retain her featherweight world title against Raven Chapman (9-1, 2 KOs).
The final scores were 99-91 and 98-92 (x2), giving Nicolson a unanimous decision victory. With the win, Nicolson makes the second successful defence of her WBC title. She won the belt with a unanimous decision against Sarah Mahfoud in April this year.
The fight took place on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Boxing fans around the world could catch the action as a pay-per-view on DAZN. Those in the United Kingdom were also able to do so with TNT Sports Box Office and Sky Sports Box Office. In the United States, the bout between Beterbiev and Bivol will only be available on ESPN+. Similarly, only TSN and RDS will broadcast that fight for those in Canada.
Beterbiev-Bivol is part of Riyadh Season, a Saudi Arabian state-funded entertainment and sports festival. The Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority is responsible for its organization.
Be sure to return to Big Fight Weekend for the Beterbiev vs. Bivol final recap!
Skye Nicolson Decisions Raven Chapman
Fight Recap
Chapman sought to get off to a fast start and tried getting on the inside in the first and second, but Nicolson kept her at bay with her lead land. In round three, the reigning champion began sitting on her punches and landed clean power shots with her left. Round four saw Chapman have some success, though like Nicolson she was only landing singular shots.
The Australian stuck to countering throughout the contest, generally landing whenever Chapman got close to closing the distance. Nicolson’s movement around the ring made her a tough target to hit. Despite that, Chapman was able to land a power punch occasionally. However, it was not enough to win rounds. The final round saw the most exchanges between the two, but by then Nicolson had done enough to retain her title.
Pure respect between @skyebnic and @ravenchapman01 ❤️️#BeterbievBivol | #RiyadhSeason | Oct 12, live NOW on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikh | Click the link in bio to buy pic.twitter.com/S0jc3VJLg9
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) October 12, 2024
Earlier On The Card
Ben Whittaker (8-0-1, 5 KOs) and Liam Cameron (23-6-1, 10 KOs, 1 NC) fought to a technical draw in their 10-round light heavyweight fight. Towards the end of round five, both men went over the rope. As a result of the fall, Whittaker was unable to make it to his feet and left the ring in a wheelchair. The fight went to the judges scorecards at the time of termination due to the incident. While one judge had Whittaker winning 58-57, another had it 58-57 for Cameron. A third judge had the bout 58-58, resulting in a technical draw.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?❗
Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron go over the ropes 😯#BeterbievBivol | Live Now | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/iypOq2mifB
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) October 12, 2024
Mohammed Alakel (1-0, 0 KOs) won a unanimous decision against Jesus Gonzalez (3-3, 0 KOs). Scores for the four-round lightweight clash were 40-36 across the board.
Marco Maric (1-0, 0 KOs) won a unanimous decision against Christian Lopez Flores (14-46-2, 12 KOs). Scores for the four-round super welterweight bout were 40-36 across the board.
Currently writing out of Toronto, Canada, Saadeq first became a boxing fan while living in Doha, Qatar. Looking to become more involved in the sport, he began writing about boxing and has had work published in outlets such as Seconds Out and Boxing Social. He looks forward to continue covering boxing on Big Fight Weekend.
