Terri Harper will enjoy a hometown headliner for the first defense of her third divisional title reign.
The reigning WBO lightweight titlist is confirmed to next face unbeaten Natalie Zimmermann (13-0, 3 KOs). Their scheduled ten-round bout will top a May 23 DAZN show from Eco-Power Stadium in Harper’s birth town of Doncaster, England.
GBM Sports, who will present the event, will hold a press conference on Monday at the site of the fight venue to formally announce the event.
The show will also include a ten-round regional title fight rematch between Danny Quartermine (12-0-1, 4 KOs) and Jack Bateson (20-1-1, 6 KOs). Their Dec. 7 meeting ended in a majority draw in a DAZN headliner from Park Community Arena in Sheffield, England.
That same venue was the site for an historic win by Denaby Main’s Harper (15-2-2, 6 KOs), who dethroned then-unbeaten WBO lightweight titlist Rhiannon Dixon last Sept. 28. The win saw Harper become the first-ever British woman to win major titles in three weight divisions.
Harper, The Ring’s No. 3 lightweight, previously held the WBC junior lightweight and WBA junior middleweight titles. Her previous bid to win a third divisional title ended in a fourth-round knockout loss to then-WBO welterweight beltholder Sandy Ryan last March 23 at Utilita Arena in Sheffield.
Hamburg’s Zimmermann takes a considerable leap in competition for her first major title challenge.
The 42-year-old lightweight fights on the road for the third straight time. Having previously fought exclusively in Germany, Zimmermann posted a pair of wins in Spain over pedestrian opposition.
Harper has frequently fought in her home region throughout her career. This upcoming title defense marks her first true return to Doncaster, however, since her first year as a pro. She made her Nov. 2017 pro debut at Doncaster Dome, where she also appeared five months later in her third bout.
Jake Donovan is part of the U.S. team for The Ring. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.