

Lewis Crocker to defend IBF welterweight title vs. Liam Paro in Australia
Highlights
Lewis Crocker of Northern Ireland will make the first defense of his IBF 147-pound belt against Liam Paro in the challenger's home country of Australia after Paro's promoter, No Limit Boxing, won the purse bid to stage the fight. A date and specific location have yet to be determined. The announcement was made Tuesday.
Feb 3, 2026
2 min read
Lewis Crocker's first defense of his IBF welterweight title will come on enemy territory against Liam Paro in Australia.
Highlights
Lewis Crocker of Northern Ireland will make the first defense of his IBF 147-pound belt against Liam Paro in the challenger's home country of Australia after Paro's promoter, No Limit Boxing, won the purse bid to stage the fight. A date and specific location have yet to be determined. The announcement was made Tuesday.
Highlights
Lewis Crocker of Northern Ireland will make the first defense of his IBF 147-pound belt against Liam Paro in the challenger's home country of Australia after Paro's promoter, No Limit Boxing, won the purse bid to stage the fight. A date and specific location have yet to be determined. The announcement was made Tuesday.
Paro's promoter No Limit Boxing announced Tuesday they beat Crocker's promoter Matchroom Boxing in a purse bid to stage their fight in the land down under.
The difference came down to $27,000, as George Rose submitted a winning bid of $1,152,000 compared to $1,125,000 from Eddie Hearn.
Northern Ireland's Crocker will take home 65 percent of the pot with a $748,800 purse, while mandatory challenger Paro gets the remaining 35 percent at $403,200, from the comforts of fighting on home soil.
Rose and company have 90 days to announce a fight date and location, per IBF rules.
"This is everything I’ve wanted," Queensland's Paro said in a press release. "I never got the chance as a world champion to defend a title on home soil, so to now fight for another world title in Australia is something special.
"No Limit Boxing went to work and delivered this. They backed me, believed in me, and now we get to do this in front of Australian fans. I've already proven I can win a world title anywhere. Now it's time to make history at home, follow in the footsteps of a legend like Jeff Fenech, and become a two-time world champion."
Paro (27-1, 16 KOs) is riding a two-fight winning streak since suffering a career-first defeat by Richardson Hitchins in December 2024, the first defense of his 140-pound IBF title. Paro scored a career-best win against Subriel Matias on the road in Puerto Rico in June 2024 to become a first-time titleholder.
Paro last fought in September, scoring a unanimous decision win against David Papot. He was supposed to face Paddy Donovan on January 16 in an IBF title eliminator, but Donovan pulled out of the fight citing illness nearly three weeks prior.
Crocker (22-0, 11 KOs) is coming off back-to-back wins against Donovan, a March victory via disqualification and a September win by split decision for the vacant IBF 147-pound title.
Crocker enjoyed a home-field advantage during clashes against Donovan in his Belfast backyard. But now, the champion will have to make his first title defense nearly 10,000 miles away, marking his first fight outside the UK.
Neither Crocker nor Paro, both 29, feature among The Ring’s top 10 rankings at 147 pounds.
"To outbid Matchroom, Eddie Hearn and bring this fight home is massive," said Rose. "Not just for Liam, but for the sport in this country. This is what No Limit Boxing is built on. We promised Liam world-class opportunities when he signed with us less than 12 months ago, and now he's fighting for a second world title on Australian soil.
"There is no better feeling than making dreams come true, something I know will live with Liam forever. Now the hard work starts to put on a spectacular show. It's a historic moment and we're proud to be delivering it."
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.
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