Alex Dilmaghani takes on two-time world title contender Francisco Fonseca
Alex Dilmaghani (19-1), 28 from Crayford, Kent, goes on the hunt for world honours as he takes on world-class super featherweight, Francisco Fonseca (25-2-1) for the WBA International super-featherweight title.
The 12-round 130lbs championship contest will take place on September 28 at Mote Hall in Maidstone, a venue used frequently by local promoter Joe Elfidh. The collaboration will see the emerging promoter fill the undercard with his talented roster of fighters from JE Promotions. One such JE Promotions prospect is former England International amateur Luke Gibb and his sparring partner Lenny Fuller, who enters into Ultimate Boxxer 5 on September 20.
Headliner Alex Dilmaghani has been described by promoter Mick Hennessey as Britain's most avoided fighter and boxing’s best kept secret. Remarkably, the 28-year-old has been a professional fighter for over a decade, making his pro bow way back in April 2009.
Despite having a brief amateur stint and a professional career out of the mainstream, Alex gained his boxing education the hard way, spending the most recent part of his career boxing abroad in Canada and Mexico. It was in Mexico where he trained in the legendary Romanza Gym alongside all-time great Juan Manuel Marquez. Alex’s talents were quickly spotted by the renowned trainer Nacho Beristain and was used as one of his chief sparring partners for the Manny Pacquiao fight.
Undoubtedly, this experience under the watchful eye of Nacho and gym wars with Marquez has sharpened Alex into a deadly weapon waiting to be unleashed in both the super featherweight and featherweight scene.
After signing with Hennessy Sports in April 2019, Alex is looking to make a huge impact in the next couple of years back at home in England, where he first tarted his professional boxing journey.
The premise for signing with Hennessey was so that he could headline shows back in England and his promoter has delivered on that promise already with the added bones of a world-ranking title on the line.
His opponent, Francisco Hernan Fonseca Lira, 25 from Nicaragua, recently challenged for the IBF world super-featherweight title, taking the champion Tevin Farmer to the final bell, but losing via unanimous decision.
Wining the IBF Inter-Continental strap back in 2016 with a fourth-round KO, followed by two conscutive KO wins, awarded Fonseca with his first world title shot against then-IBF world champ Gervonta Davis, who won with an eighth-round KO but was subsequently stripped for failing to make weight. The belt was then claimed by Farmer, who has held it ever since.
Dilmaghani only has eight stoppage wins from 20 contests, but four of his last five fights have ended early, which is the same achievement as Fonseca. Both ranked highly in their native countries and riding the crest of a wave, this contest couldn't be closer on paper.
Details for the full undercard will be released shortly. An early announcement has confirmed that promoter Mick's son Michael Hennessy Jr (1-0-1) will be appearing in his third professional contest.