Former IBF 140-pound champion
Liam Paro has maneuvered his way from one title eliminator to another.
Paro (26-1, 16 KOs) will make his welterweight debut and take on
David Papot (30-0-1, 5 KOs) on Sept. 18 at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, Australia. The bout will headline a No Limit Boxing event and is an IBF welterweight title eliminator between the sanctioning body's No. 7-ranked Paro and No. 8-rated Papot.
Paro was
supposed to face Lindolfo Delgado in a 140-pound IBF title eliminator, but passed on the opportunity by opting to move up in weight.
With a win against Delgado, Paro could have properly positioned himself to face lone conqueror Richardson Hitchins in a rematch following December's split decision defeat. Instead, he'll now be chasing a title that is currently vacant after former unified welterweight champion
Jaron Ennis recently moved up to 154 pounds.
“I’ve been to the top before. I know what it takes to become a champion, but this time, it’s about more than a belt,” said Paro. “It’s about becoming the name people talk about for years to come. To fight for a world title shot in my home state, in a venue as iconic as Pat Rafter Arena, is something special. David Papot is tough, seasoned, and coming here to win, but I’ve sacrificed too much to let this slip.”
Paro rebounded from his loss to Hitchins by beating Jonathan Navarro via fifth-round stoppage in June. It marked the 29-year-old's first win since upsetting Subriel Matias last summer to score the title he held.
Papot is a 34-year-old from France who's fought only once outside of his native land. The occasion came in 2019 when he battled to a 12-round split draw against James McGirt. Papot's last two wins have come against previous unbeatens Josh Wagner in November and Jon Miguez in April 2024.
No Limit CEO George Rose added that former junior lightweight title challenger Liam Wilson (16-3, 8 KOs) is also set to be showcased on the card.
“Liam Paro has arrived, and this fight is going to be electric,” said Rose. “He’s charging back to the top with this massive world title eliminator in his new weight class … Liam’s not just chasing big fights, he wins them. That’s why this one’s so exciting, because it’s the start of another huge chapter for him.”
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.