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Nigerian-Born British Boxer Lawrence Okolie Set To Return To Boxing

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Nigerian-born British boxer Lawrence Okolie is set to return to boxing after almost a year of staying out of the ring.

Lawrence Okolie went on a sabbatical as the reigning WBO cruiserweight champion. The last time he stepped into the ring for a bout was in February 2022 when he defeated Poland’s Michal Cieslak via unanimous decision.

After ten months of inactivity, WBO has mandated Okolie to defend his cruiserweight title in the United Kingdom in March 2023.

Nigerian-born British boxer Lawrence Okolie Set To Return To Boxing

Lawrence Okolie is the reigning WBO cruiserweight champion.

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The 30-year-old British boxer who was born in Hackney, London in 1992, will defend his belt against New Zealand’s David Light.

Light is a Commonwealth Games silver medallist. He earned his shot at the world title after going unbeaten in the 20 fights of his professional career.

The WBO revealed on Thursday that Okolie and Light had reached a mutual understanding. The fighters asked that the purse bids for their match, which was supposed to take place on Thursday, be canceled. The boxing body granted the request.

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The two teams have agreed that the bout would be held in the UK in March thanks to promoter BOXXER.

“BOXXER is delighted to confirm it will be promoting the WBO world cruiserweight title fight between Lawrence Okolie and challenger David Light. More details, including a venue for the contest, will follow in due course,” a spokesperson for BOXXER said.

Okolie, who won the WBO title against Krzysztof Glowacki in a convincing performance last year, has twice successfully defended the title. He has made a name for himself as the top cruiserweight in the UK.

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Note that Nigerian parents gave birth to Okolie in Hackney, London. He was born and raised in Stoke Newington, where he also went to school. He competed for Team Great Britain in the heavyweight division at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He advanced to the Round of 16 but lost to eventual bronze medalist Erislandy Savon of Cuba.