In May, Donovan (16-2,1 2 KOs) traveled to Germany and outpointed Karen Chukhadzhian in a final eliminator for the IBF welterweight title currently held by Australia’s Liam Paro. Rather than sitting on the sidelines waiting for a date for his challenge, the 27-year-old from Limerick elected to stay busy against the always willing but badly faded McKenna (25-7-1, 8 KOs).

It was immediately obvious that Donovan was much too fresh and talented for this version of McKenna and, midway through the second, a long southpaw right hook to the body forced the Belfast man to drop to the canvas and take a count.

McKenna trained in Philadelphia when he first turned professional and, at 36 years old, he returned to Derek “Bozy” Ennis’ dungeon to prepare for the difficult task of beating Donovan, but he was unable to build his customary forward momentum and spent almost all of the fight on the back foot.

Rather than going through the motions and dragging things out, Donovan kept up the pressure and continued to land hurtful shots. In the fourth, one particular left hand tore open a huge cut over McKenna’s left eye. The ringside doctor took a brief look at the injury and immediately told the referee to stop the fight.

In 2025, Donovan was beaten by Lewis Crocker in a battle for the vacant IBF title and will now take a short break before starting preparations for his second world title challenge.

The evening’s official chief support, a 10-round heavyweight fight between Thomas Carty and Dave Allen, ended before it had really begun.

Midway through the first round, Carty plunged through the ropes and fell headfirst on the floor outside the ring. After a long delay and some medical attention, the ringside doctor declared that the 30-year-old Dubliner could not continue, and the fight was declared a no-contest.

After suffering a conclusive third round defeat to newly crowned IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic in May, 34-year-old Allen (27-9-2-1, 20 KOs) returned to the small hall scene he loves and claimed two low profile wins.

The mercurial Yorkshireman’s return to the big stage lasted all of 82 seconds.

After some early, nondescript skirmishes, Carty (11-1-1, 9 KOs) landed a well-timed right uppercut, followed it with a left hook and stepped into a clinch. As the two moved toward the ropes, Carty took a short, chopping right hand to the back of the head and sailed head first through the ropes and out of the ring.

Carty was administered oxygen as he sat on the floor but eventually got to his feet and left the stadium under his own steam. Visibly disappointed, Allen also left the ring and the MC, David Diamante, stood alone as he made the official announcement.

Carty’s only previous defeat came in March 2025 when a torn ACL forced him to retire in the second round of a fight with Dajuan Calloway at Madison Square Garden in New York. Yet again, bad luck cost him the chance of making a mark on the heavyweight division.

The televised portion of Saturday’s card got underway with a clash of unbeaten super middleweights as promising Welshman Taylor Bevan (10-0 ,9 KOs) scored a comprehensive win over Dublin’s Emmet Brennan (6-1, 1 KO).

Bevan, 25, took the initiative from the opening bell and seized control of the fight behind an accurate jab.

After quickly assessing the threat in front of him and deciding that he was not only the quicker man but also bigger and stronger, Bevan planted himself in front of Brennan and landed a solid left hook to the rib cage over and over again.

Midway through the third, a short left hook dropped Brennan heavily. Although the local man got up, Bevan’s hard, accurate follow up put him back on the canvas, and Brennan got up on unsteady legs.

Brennan did well to survive the fourth and appeared to be getting through the fifth until another left to the body dropped him as the round ended.

Brennan answered the bell for the sixth, but, almost immediately, he was put back on the canvas by yet another left to the body. He was needlessly allowed to re-enter the fray, and Bevan ruthlessly put him away for good with a hard right hand. Thankfully, Brennan got up and left the ring of his own accord.

Molly McCann (5-0, 1 KO) def Sylwia Doligala (8-3-2) PTS, 8 (bantamweights)

Joe McGrail (14-0, 7 KOs) def Matthew Boreland (7-1, 2 KOs) TKO 5 (junior featherweights)

Bobbi Flood (4-0, 2 KOs) def Jack Swallow (4-14-1,1 KO) PTS 4 (junior middleweights)

Adam Olaniyan (4-0, 4 KOs) def Matej Hudak (6-3, 6 KOs) TKO 1 (heavyweights)

Paul Ryan (12-2, 4 KOs) def Paddy Gallagher (17-7-1, 10 KOs) PTS 6 (middleweights)