IPSWICH, England — Justis Huni came in at a career-high weight of 248lbs for Saturday night’s Portman Road clash with home favourite Fabio Wardley.

The undefeated heavyweights will meet for the WBA interim heavyweight title at the home of Ipswich Town FC at the top of a long Queensberry Promotions card, live on DAZN.

Wardley (18-0-1, 17 KOs, was originally scheduled to face Jarrell Miller until "Big Baby" withdrew through injury meaning Huni got the call on only a few weeks’ notice.

And that might explain why the Queenslander came in so heavy, which eclipsed his previous career heaviest — against Troy Pilcher in July — by half a pound.

Wardley’s weight has been consistently above 240lbs since he beat Nathan Gorman in November 2022 and on Friday he came in at 243, which was his joint-heaviest weight. The last and only time he had been this heavy was for the first Frazer Clarke clash in March 2024, which was the only fight he didn’t win.

But he roared back in their rematch to stop Clarke inside a round in one of 2024’s most vicious knockouts. His reward for that victory was this outing at Portman Road, after years of calling for it.

Friday’s weigh-in took place at the Ipswich Corn Exchange, which was also the venue for Wardley’s last fight in the town that took place in May 2018. He won by knockout that night and he vowed to do the same against Huni.

He said: “There are no nerves — this is everything I’ve asked for and everything I’ve wanted. We are only hours away so tomorrow night is going to be huge.

“It has been a nice, relaxed fight week seeing familiar faces, family and friends all around me but don't worry; the switch is going on for tomorrow night. One way or another we are getting that knockout.”

A smiling Huni has spent much of the build-up promising to turn Wardley’s homecoming into his own "coming out party’" After weighing in, he said: “I love this. I’m going to embrace it and soak it all up. I took this fight on six weeks’ notice and I’m here now. The hard work is done. It’s time to go out there and have some fun.”

There were no surprises in the chief support bout as Pierce O’Leary and Liam Dillon successfully made the super lightweight limit ahead of their clash for the European title.