Sandy Ryan to defend welterweight world title against fellow Briton Terri Harper in March
World champion Sandy Ryan will defend her WBO welterweight title against fellow Briton Terri Harper on 23 March in Sheffield, as part of Matchroom Boxing’s spring schedule.
Derby’s Ryan, 30, makes a second defence of her belt as Harper, 27, aims to become a three-division champion.
Undefeated Rhiannon Dixon will fight for her first world title in Manchester on 13 April.
Dixon, 31, will face Karen Elizabeth Carabajal for the WBO belt.
Ryan returns to the ring after September’s contentious split-decision draw in a unification bout against American Jessica McCaskill in Orlando.
Harper is the current WBA light-middleweight champion, having also previously been a champion at super-featherweight. She is also coming off a draw, with Cecilia Braekhus in October.
Also on the card at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena, the undefeated and highly-rated light-welterweight Dalton Smith will take on three-time world-title challenger Jose Zepeda.
The following month Warrington’s pharmacist-turned-boxer Dixon – who is trained by former world champion Anthony Crolla – challenges for a world title in just her 10th outing against Carabajal.
The Argentine’s loss in 22 fights was to pound-for-pound star Katie Taylor, who has since vacated her lightweight title.
In the main event at Manchester’s AO Arena, super-featherweight Jordan Gill – who stopped Ireland’s Michael Conlan in a career-best win in December – continues his charge towards a world title shot by taking on Zelfa Barrett.