Lomachenko-Kambosos Jr. Lightweight Showdown Set for May 12 in Australia

Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr.'s highly anticipated lightweight championship bout has been confirmed for May 12 in Perth, Australia, following a deal between their respective representatives. The fight, which will be for the vacant IBF lightweight title, was announced during an ESPN+ stream of the Artur Beterbiev-Callum Smith undercard on Saturday night.

The event, expected to take place at the 15,000-seat RAC Arena in Perth, will see Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) and Kambosos (21-2, 10 KOs) face off in a Sunday morning and afternoon event in Australia. In the United States, the fight will be broadcast live on ESPN the night before, on May 11.

Bob Arum's Top Rank Inc., which promotes Lomachenko and co-promotes Kambosos with DiBella Entertainment, is currently finalizing a site deal with the Australian government to host the event in Perth. This decision places the fight clear across the continent from Kambosos' hometown of Sydney, where his previous fights against Devin Haney took place.

The undercard for the Lomachenko-Kambosos fight is expected to feature the Moloney twins, Jason and Andrew, both accomplished boxers in their own right. However, Jason Moloney's participation will depend on his recovery from a cut sustained during his recent victory over Saul Sanchez. Andrew Moloney is set to participate in a WBO 115-pound elimination match against an opponent yet to be determined.

Lomachenko, a three-weight world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, will end nearly a one-year layoff when he faces Kambosos for the IBF belt. The 35-year-old Ukrainian's last fight was against Haney in May 2023, a closely contested bout that ended in a unanimous decision in Haney's favor.

Kambosos, on the other hand, is coming off a debatable majority-decision victory over Maxi Hughes in July 2023. Ranked second by the IBF, the 30-year-old Australian will be aiming to secure the lightweight title in front of his home crowd.

The matchup between Lomachenko and Kambosos is expected to be one of the most significant events in the lightweight division, with both fighters eager to claim the vacant IBF title.