Bantamweight Hennessy to face De Persio live on BBC

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Francesca Hennessy wants to become the youngest undisputed champion in boxing history

Published14 minutes ago

British bantamweight Francesca Hennessy's fight against Aurora de Persio will be shown live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

The bout will be part of a Boxxer event headlined by Adam Azim's fight against Steve Claggett on 30 May at Wembley Arena in London.

Hennessy will be aiming to defend her WBC Silver Bantamweight title against Italian De Persio to set up a fight against undisputed bantamweight champion Cherneka Johnson later this year.

"This is another important test for me," said 21-year-old Hennessy. "I've always wanted to challenge myself against good opponents because that's what will prepare me for world title fights."

Hennessy beat Ellie Bouttell in her last outing as she extended her 100% record to eight wins in eight fights, while De Persio has eight wins and one defeat from nine fights.

Hennessy has her sights set on becoming the youngest undisputed champion in boxing history.

That record is currently held by Gabriela Fundora, who achieved the feat at flyweight aged 22 years and 218 days - meaning Hennessy, who turns 22 in October, would need to do it by 26 May 2027.

"I know what I want to achieve in this sport and every fight is another step towards becoming world champion," said Hennessy.

"I'm staying focused, improving every camp and I can't wait to put on a show on 30 May."