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The DAZN presenter breaks down a Miami card full of crossover questions, a late opponent switch and fighters with something real to prove.
One-on-one access, quick reads and the details that get lost between weigh-ins and walkouts.
The amateur chapter is closed. Before Tuff-N-Uff 157, “The Spark Plug” talks about the move to 135, starting fresh as a pro and the kind of finish he wants under the Vegas lights.
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Fight night is here and I recently got to sit down virtually with Lauren Blake to talk about the Misfits Boxing card coming to Miami on Saturday September 26th. Lauren has been covering Misfits, so I wanted to hear what she has her eye on and talk through a card that is definitely a big storyline for all fight fans!
The event will take place Saturday in Miami at the James L. Knight Center and streams live on DAZN. The card is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Between a former UFC champion making his professional boxing debut, and a young boxer stepping into the main event on short notice, and we also have former interim UFC Lightweight Champion, Tony Ferguson on the card – there was a lot to get into!
The main event is Henry Cejudo versus Javon "Wanna" Walton at welterweight.
Cejudo has already done almost everything in combat sports: he won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling and became a two-division UFC champion. But this will be his professional boxing debut, and that is a totally different test.
Walton is known to many as "Ashtray" from Euphoria, but he is not just an actor trying boxing for attention. He has trained in the sport since he was a kid and comes into Saturday night's bout holding a professional record of 3-0-1.
He also stepped in after Cejudo's original opponent, Deen The Great, had to pull out due to an injury.
This is where I find the matchup interesting. Cejudo has elite fight IQ, the ability to adapt under pressure, and the kind of competitive mindset that remains the same no matter the rule setting.
Walton is younger and has more professional boxing experience, or just even boxing experience in general, starting as a young kid in the sport. It is not as simple as saying that the UFC legend should win, or the boxer should win. They each have a test ahead of them, with something to prove.
Tony Ferguson is also back on the card, defending his Misfits Middleweight title. Once again having to make an adjustment as his opponent changed – Tony will now be taking on Mahmoud Sebie.
Sebie brings his own combat-sports background as a former Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler with professional MMA experience. So even though this is another boxing crossover, it is not as easy or predictable. Ferguson has to make the late adjustment, and Sebie is taking a big opportunity on short notice.
Ferguson has already two wins under his belt in Misfits Boxing and is now making his first defense of the Middleweight title. Fans know how much his career has changed over the years, which is why people still want to see what he looks like every time he competes!
We've got that mix of fighters, creators, and personalities that Misfits brings. Some fans love crossover boxing and some still do not know what to make of it, but the promotion understands how to build a card around matchups that people will talk about!
In my conversation with Lauren, we got into the names, the matchups, and the bigger questions behind the fights.
Cejudo wants to show that his skills can transfer to the ring. Walton wants to prove he belongs in the main event against one of the most decorated combat sports athletes of our generation.
Ferguson has another new challenge, and the rest of the card has plenty of competitors looking to create their moment.
Talking with Lauren helped set up why these fights matter and what to watch for when they ring that bell. She gave more than a list of names on a poster.
Saturday will answer some questions, probably create a few new ones, and give us plenty to talk about after.
Zane “The Spark Plug” Finley is not pretending the jump from amateur champion to professional is just another fight. The record resets. The expectations do not.
When we talked ahead of Tuff-N-Uff 157, Zane sounded locked in on the part that matters most: getting better without erasing what got him here. He has already felt the pressure of a title fight, dealt with a loss and learned how quickly momentum can turn in this sport.
Now he is making the move to 135 pounds and starting a new chapter at 0-0. His opponent had not been announced when we spoke, but that did not change his answer about what he wanted fans to see.
“Be violent, put on a show, get a finish.” That is the plan.
The setting fits the moment: Tuff-N-Uff 157 at the pool at SAHARA Las Vegas. It is a hometown stage without feeling like a quiet hometown show. There are lights, noise and plenty of pressure for a fighter trying to make the first line on his professional record count.
What stood out to me was how comfortable Zane looked talking about the reset. A lot of fighters spend years building an amateur identity, then have to accept that the professional record starts with nothing. He sounded less worried about protecting a number and more interested in showing what the next version of him can do.
What to watch: the weight cut to 135, his pace once the fight settles and whether that finishing mindset stays patient when the first opening does not come right away.