Buatsi vs Hutchinson 2: Willy Hutchinson wins vacant WBC light-heavyweight title

Scotland's Willy Hutchinson won the vacant WBC world light-heavyweight title on Saturday, 7 November 2026, beating England's Joshua Buatsi by unanimous decision in their rematch at the AO Arena in Manchester. The three judges scored the 12-round bout 117-112, 115-113 and 115-113 for Hutchinson. The win reversed the result of their first fight in 2024, which Buatsi won by split decision, and it handed Buatsi the second defeat of his professional career.

Light-heavyweight is the division for boxers weighing up to 175 pounds, about 79 kilograms, and the WBC belt is one of the sport's recognised world titles. For Hutchinson, the win turns a narrow defeat two years ago into a world championship. Their first fight was so close that the judges split, and it was fought for an interim title with another organisation, the WBO; this time all three judges scored it for Hutchinson, and the prize was a full world title. Reports described him as the first British fighter to hold a world light-heavyweight title since Nathan Cleverly in 2017, which makes the result significant for British boxing.

The fight itself was decided by movement. Reports of the bout said Hutchinson outboxed Buatsi, using his footwork to make himself a hard target to hit. Buatsi came on strongly late in the fight, and reports said his late rally stopped Hutchinson from cruising to the win, which helps explain why two of the three cards were close. It was not enough to change the outcome. For Buatsi, who had lost only once before as a professional, it means a second defeat and a missed chance at a full world title in front of a home British crowd.

The result also shows how quickly a title picture can change. The rematch was only upgraded to a full world title fight because the previous champion, David Benavidez, chose to stay in the heavier cruiserweight division. That decision opened the belt to two British boxers who already knew each other well from their first fight.

Peepals calculation: Across the three scorecards, Hutchinson received 347 points (117 + 115 + 115) and Buatsi 338 (112 + 113 + 113), a combined margin of 9 points. Two of the three judges had only 2 points between the fighters (115-113), while the third had 5 (117-112). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Hutchinson becomes the WBC light-heavyweight champion and will be expected to make his first defence, while Buatsi, now 20-2, has to rebuild after his second professional loss.

Long-term: The win puts a British boxer at the top of a major world title in the division, and sets up possible fights between Hutchinson and other leading light-heavyweights holding the remaining belts.

Who is affected: Hutchinson and Buatsi and their teams, British boxing promoters and broadcasters, and other light-heavyweight contenders looking for a world title fight.

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