MOSES ITAUMA returns to action TONIGHT as he continues his charge towards taking over the heavyweight division.
was originally set to kick off 2026 in Manchester on January 24.
Moses Itauma (left) and Jermaine Franklin Jr (right) will fight at the Co-Op Live Arena, Manchester.Credit: PA
Moses Itauma knocked out Dillian Whyte in round one in his last fight on August 16, 2025 in Riyadh.Credit: Getty
But after suffering an injury in training camp, the clash – along with the rest of the Magnificent 7 card – .
Now fully fit, will finally face durable American Jermaine Franklin.
The unbeaten Brit made a huge statement in his last outing, needing less than one round to blow away in August.
That brutal finish sent shockwaves through the heavyweight division and underlined why many see him as Britain’s next world champion.
Franklin, however, represents a very different type of test.
The 32-year-old has shared the ring with some of British ‘s biggest names and is known for his toughness and durability.
He notably went the full 12 rounds with , pushing the former two-time world champion all the way in their 2023 clash.
Franklin also has a mutual opponent with Itauma in Dillian Whyte – giving fans an intriguing comparison heading into fight night.
The American heavyweight has only lost to AJ and Whyte.
Ranked highly with both the WBA and WBO, Itauma is chasing a world title opportunity within the next year.
Fight fans are interested to see how Itauma does against the division’s best, with all-time great being mentioned as a potential clash.
on May 23 in Egypt.
But to stay firmly on course, he must come through Franklin first.
The Home of Boxing in 2026
There's a massive year of boxing ahead!
It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring.
will make his return in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov while Oleksandr Usyk takes on the king of kickboxing Rico Verhoeven.
features for the first time since making the switch to Zuffa Boxing and Fabio Wardley will defend his newly won heavyweight crown.
Canelo Alvarez will be hoping to return after his defeat to Terence Crawford and heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk will also defend his straps.
Derek Chisora will fight for the 50th and (perhaps) final time against Deontay Wilder while Daniel Dubois is also on the comeback trail.
A whole bunch of British stars could also take a leap into superstardom, with the likes of , Hamzah Sheeraz and Adam Azim ready to join the very top of the sport.
March
- Sat 28 – Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin – DAZN
- Sat 28 – Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman – Amazon Prime PPV
April
- Sat 4 – Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora – DAZN PPV
- Sun 5 – Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper – Sky Sports
- Sat 11 – Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov – Netflix
- Sat 11 – Conor Benn vs Regis Prograis – Netflix
- Sat 18 – Callum Smith vs David Morrell – DAZN
- Sat 18 – Manny Pacquiao vs Ruslan Provodnikov
- Sat 25 – Lawrence Okolie vs Tony Yoka – DAZN
May
- Sat 2 – Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani – Undisputed super-bantamweight title – TBC
- Sat 2 – Zurdo Ramirez vs David Benavidez – WBA & WBO Cruiserweight titles – Prime Video
- Sat 9 – Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois – WBO title – DAZN
- Sat 23 – Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – WBC title – DAZN
June
- Sat 6 – Dalton Smith vs Alberto Puello – WBC super lightweight title – DAZN
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What time are the ring-walks for Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin and when does the fight start?
- Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin will take place TONIGHT, Saturday, March 28.
- The full card will be shown live on DAZN as part of your subscription.
- The main show is due to start at 5pm GMT.
- Itauma and Franklin are due to take their ring-walks at 11pm GMT, with the fight set to get underway at around 11.15pm GMT.
- Timings could change depending on the length of the undercard bouts.
Where is Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin taking place?
- The fight will be staged at the Co-op Live in Manchester, United Kingdom.
- Opened in 2024, the 23,500-capacity arena is the largest indoor venue in the country and has already hosted several major fight nights.
How can I watch Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin?
- Itauma vs Franklin and the entire fight card will be broadcast live on DAZN worldwide via subscription.
- DAZN also offers an Ultimate Tier subscription, which includes a minimum of 12 PPVs per year on top of the regular schedule – meaning you do not need to purchase pay-per-views separately.
- Alternatively, SunSport’s live blog will bring you round-by-round coverage of the full card.
For Itauma, this is more than just another fight.
It is the next step in an expected rise to the very top of the heavyweight division.
Franklin’s experience and resilience make him a dangerous obstacle – but if the Brit delivers another explosive performance, the world title conversation will only grow louder.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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