Lightweight Boxing Division Update
The lightweight division landscape shows WBO champ Abdullah Mason with mandatory Joe Cordina, IBF champ Raymond Muratalla, WBC vacant with Zepeda vs. Roach ordered, and WBA vacant with Schofield vs. Bahdi expected. Steven Butler stopped Ramadan Hiseni to win the WBA Continental title, adding to the division's activity. Multiple title fights are being lined up across the 135-pound weight class.
WBO champion Abdullah Mason is currently the youngest world champion in men's boxing, having secured the vacant title at just 21 years old in November 2025 with a win over Sam Noakes. The undefeated southpaw holds a professional record of 20 wins with 17 knockouts. Mason's mandatory challenger, Joe Cordina, brings a wealth of experience, having held the IBF super-featherweight title twice. The 34-year-old Welshman has a record of 19 wins and 1 loss and previously won gold at the 2015 European Championships as an amateur. The WBC lightweight title was left vacant after being stripped from former champion Shakur Stevenson. The upcoming bout between William Zepeda (33-1) and Lamont Roach Jr. (25-1-3) was not ordered by the sanctioning body, but rather a deal was made by the fighters' promoters and then approved by the WBC. Similarly, the WBA title became vacant after the organization designated Gervonta "Tank" Davis as its "champion in recess" due to his legal issues. This has paved the way for a potential clash between the WBA's top two contenders, undefeated Floyd Schofield (19-0) and fellow undefeated fighter Lucas Bahdi (20-0). IBF champion Raymond Muratalla (24-0) earned his belt after being elevated from interim to full champion in June 2025 following the retirement of Vasiliy Lomachenko. He successfully defended his title for the first time in January 2026 with a majority decision victory over highly-touted Cuban amateur star Andy Cruz. While adding to the recent flurry of boxing news, Steven Butler's second-round knockout of Ramadan Hiseni was for the WBA Continental *super middleweight* title. The win provides Butler with a regional belt at 168 pounds, which will help improve his world ranking in that heavier weight class.
