New York, NY (February 7, 2020) DiBella Entertainment has a busy weekend ahead, headlined by “Merciless” Mary McGee defending her IBF Junior Welterweight world title for the first time tomorrow night, February 8, near her hometown of Gary, IN, at the Civic Center, in Hammond, IN.
McGee (26-3, 14 KOs) will battle Deanha “The Silencer” Hobbs (8-1, 5 KO), of Queensland, Australia, in the 10-round main event. She won the vacant world title on December 5, 2019, with a 10th-round stoppage of Ana Laura Esteche on Broadway Boxing in New York City. Hobbs is coming off of the first loss of her four-year professional career, a 10-round decision to then-WBO Super Lightweight world champion Christina Linardatou on June 7, 2019, in Athens, Greece.
Christina “Medusa” Linardatou (12-2, 6 KOs), of Athens, Greece, will compete in a scheduled 10-round bout against Prisca “die Kriegerin” Vicot (11-6, 2 KOs), of England. In a hotly contested world championship battle, Linardatou lost her title by decision to Katie Taylor on November 2, 2019, in Manchester, England. Vicot is riding a two-bout winning streak, most recently defeating Olena Medvedenko via unanimous decision, on July 6, 2019, in Vienna, Austria.
Also featured on the card in Hammond, IN, 2016 US Olympian Charles Conwell (11-0, 8 KOs), of Cleveland, OH, faces Ramses “El Faraon” Agaton (22-11-3, 12 KOs), of Tlalnepantla, Mexico, over eight rounds. The 22-year-old Conwell is returning to the ring for the first time since his victory against Patrick Day on October 12, 2019, in Chicago, IL. Tragically, Day passed away from injuries incurred during the bout four days later. A professional for 10 years, the 29-year-old Agaton is coming off of a fourth-round knockout of Victor Marquez on December 28, 2019, in Mexico.
In a scheduled six-rounder in Hammond, IN, undefeated middleweight prospect Isaiah Steen (13-0, 10 KOs), of Cleveland, OH, a training partner of Conwell’s, faces Kenneth “The Cannon” Council (10-3-1, 8 KOs), of Knoxville, TN. Fighting for the first time this year, the 23-year-old Steen hits the ring following an eight-round decision against Gorjan Slaveski on August 16, 2019, in Columbus, OH. Council looks to rebound from a hard-fought six-round split decision loss to undefeated Anthony Barnes on October 11, 2019, in Warren, MI.
Also, on Saturday night in Daytona Beach, FL, 2016 Olympian Juan Carlos Carrillo (2-0, 1 KO), of Barranquilla, Colombia, continues his ascent in the professional ranks, facing Ben Williams (1-2), of Benton Harbor, MI, in a scheduled six-round light heavyweight clash. The 27-year-old Carrillo, who represented Colombia at the Rio Olympics, compiled an impressive 388-23 amateur record, winning gold at the 2012 Colombian National Games, 2012 Pacific Cup Tournament, 2011 Colombian National Championships, 2010 Colombian Youth National Championships, and silver at the 2014 Central American & Caribbean Games. He won his first two professional bouts in dominant fashion last year and looks toward a busy 2020. The event at the Hard Rock Hotel in Daytona Beach, FL, is promoted by women’s boxing legend and 2020 Hall-of-Fame Inductee Christy Martin.
In Vienna, Virginia, at Tysons Playground, heavyweight contender Mike Balogun (15-0, 11 KOs), of Upper Marlboro, MD, battles Bosnian Adnan Buharalija, of Norcross, Georgia, in a scheduled eight-rounder. A former college football standout for the Oklahoma Sooners who also played in the NFL, Balogun will be making his first start of 2020 after four victories last year, two by first-round knockout.
Rounding out the weekend for DiBella Entertainment, top lightweight contender Jon Fernandez (20-1, 17 KOs) fights at home on Saturday night in Bilbao, Spain, against Robin Zamora (15-7, 8 KOs), of Managua, Nicaragua, in a scheduled eight-rounder. Co-promoted by boxing legend Sergio Martinez’ Maravilla Promotions, the 24-year-old Fernandez has won four fights in a row since his only loss to O’Shaquie Foster in September 2018. The 21-year-old Zamora has won two of his last three starts by knockout.
