Zach Parker implemented his game plan to a tee in an intelligent display against Joshua Buatsi, but was ultimately denied the biggest win of his career. Buatsi won a heavily disputed majority decision (95-95, 96-94, 96-94) over Parker in the DAZN main event Saturday evening from the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
Uncrowned had Parker winning the fight 98-92.
Advertisement
It was Buatsi’s first fight since losing his WBO interim light heavyweight title to Callum Smith in a brutal Fight of the Year contender in February on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Buatsi’s fight with Parker (26-2, 18 KOs), however, was anything but a thriller. Parker used a great deal of lateral movement, spoiling and holding every time Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) got close and looked to exchange. It was far from pretty, but it looked to have been an effective and winning formula.
“Fuming, mate,” Parker said of the decision. “I won that fight easy. Every single person at ringside said I won it. I should be changing my daughter’s life and my new unborn child. I’ve won literally almost every round. I’m outboxing him; he can’t even touch me. I should be champion now, going on for bigger fights.
Advertisement
“Everyone’s got eyes, so [of course they] can see that I won the fight. He can’t even land a f***ing clean shot at me. I should be champion. I’m just pissed off, mate.”
Parker was the more active of the pair, utilizing his sharp jab and stabbing to the body with straight punches. Parker, the former WBO No. 1 at super middleweight, did a fine job of catching Buatsi as the Olympic bronze medalist attempted to close the gap. Buatsi was hesitant in letting his hands go, and the lack of activity was expected to have cost him many of the early rounds.
There was slightly more urgency from Buatsi from the seventh round onward, but Parker nullified his attempts at increasing the tempo and disrupted Buatsi’s momentum through holding and falling to the ground when the pair were embroiled in a clinch, as Buatsi attempted to put his weight on Parker.
Advertisement
Following his contentious win, Buatsi set his eyes on the victor of the Nov. 22 WBC light heavyweight title clash between David Benavidez Jr. and Anthony Yarde.
In the night’s co-feature, Lyndon Arthur (25-3, 16 KOs) recovered from an early knockdown to outbox Brad Rea (21-2, 10 KOs) and defeat him by majority decision to capture the European light heavyweight title. It was Arthur’s first fight since losing to Anthony Yarde in their trilogy bout on the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn undercard.
Check out full Buatsi vs. Parker results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the main card.
Advertisement
Main card
Light heavyweight: Joshua Buatsi def. Zach Parker via majority decision (95-95, 96-94, 96-94)
Light heavyweight: Bradley Rea def. Lyndon Arthur via majority decision (114-114, 115-113, 115-112)
Light heavyweight: Liam Cameron def. Troy Jones via unanimous decision (97-93, 96-94, 96-94)
Light heavyweight: Billy Deniz def. Ezra Arenyeka via points (79-74)
Prelims
Middleweight: Stephen Clarke def. Jose Aguirre via points (60-54)
Super flyweight: John Tom Varey def. Brandon Gallardo Vargas via points (40-36)
Super bantamweight: Leighton Birchall def. Wilbert Panttin via points (39-37)
Welterweight: Luke Prior def. Eduardo Vera Sanchez via points (40-36)
Advertisement
Heavyweight: Bradley Casey def. Antonio Borovina via 1st-round TKO | Watch video
Light heavyweight: Leon Hughes def. Pavol Garaj via points (40-36)
Super featherweight: Jermaine Dhliwayo def. Cesar Ignacio Paredes via points (40-36)
-
Darshan Desai
-
Darshan Desai
Joshua Buatsi wins a controversial majority decision (95-95, 96-94, 96-94) over Zach Parker at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.
Josh Buatsi (left) and Zach Parker during their Light Heavyweight bout at the Co-op Live Arena, Manchester. Picture date: Saturday November 1, 2025. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
(Nick Potts – PA Images via Getty Images)
-
Darshan Desai
Surely Joshua Buatsi needs a KO now?
Parker’s movement has been brilliant even in this final round. Parker is landing well with the jab. Buatsi is not pushing the pace and is getting caught coming in.
Parker’s corner is cheering every time he lands. And that is frequent as Buatsi is consistently being caught by clean punches as he looks to close the gap.
10-9 Parker, 98-92 Parker
-
Darshan Desai
Two rounds to go in this one. It’s been an awful fight, but one that Parker has been winning.
Parker walks Buatsi onto a right hand. Buatsi goes to the body. Nice right from Parker, and the corner loved that one. Buatsi is warned for pushing Parker down. There’s been a lot of holding and falling from Parker. A pair of right connects for Buatsi, as a body shot connects for Parker. Nice shot from Parker. Uppercut goes Parker. Buatsi is left chasing and missing. Parker chops down with a right hand as Buatsi tries to close the gap. DAZN has it 7-1 Parker.
10-9 Parker, 88-83 Parker
-
Darshan Desai
Joshua Buatsi looks well behind as we enter Round 7.
Nice body shot from Buatsi just after the one-minute mark. Left hook from Parker catches Buatsi flush. Parker’s right elbow comes down; a body shot might’ve hurt him. Parker finds a right hand on the inside.
10-9 Buatsi, 68-65 Parker
-
Darshan Desai
Zach Parker’s corner told him that Joshua Buatsi’s feet are too slow and that Buatsi doesn’t know how to move. The fifth looked like another round for Parker.
Parker’s holding on the inside has been vital for him. Buatsi is forced to try and beat Parker on the outside. Parker makes Buatsi miss with a few shots, but a right gets through. Nice jab from Parker, and a body punch follows. Parker has outlanded Buatsi 31-10 through 5 rounds. Left hook around the guard for Parker. Some good work on the inside for Buatsi in the final minute. Parker goes back to his jab. Nice two-piece from Parker to end the round.
10-9 Parker, 59-55 Parker
-
Darshan Desai
Carl Frampton from DAZN has Parker 40-36 up.
-
Darshan Desai
Nice double left from Parker — he looked to throw a hook-uppercut combination as he did in the first. Brilliant left hand from Parker and a right through the middle as well. Parker fires downstairs with a right hand now. Buatsi is just taking too long to let his hands go. Another clean punch for Parker. Into the final minute. Nice right hand around the guard connects for Parker. Buatsi hasn’t done anything in this round. Parker continues to walk Buatsi onto heavy punches.
10-9 Parker, 39-37 Parker
-
Darshan Desai
Buatsi fires downstairs with a right hand. Nice right chops down from Parker. Parker stabs downstairs, but Buatsi responds with a left hand. Very little of note happening in this round — or throughout the contest. Parker lands a right hand to the body, gets a shot upstairs, and spins off at an angle. Parker is active with his jab, while Buatsi is perhaps waiting too long to let his hands go.
10-9 Parker, 29-28 Parker
-
Darshan Desai
This is a slow-paced fight. Neither man is doing too much. Parker is perhaps the sharper boxer. He is making Buatsi miss a bit, but a hook from Buatsi did get through. Nice right for Parker on the inside. Parker and Buatsi have both had success with the jab in this frame. Nice left hand from Buatsi to end the round.
10-9 Buatsi, 19-19
-
Darshan Desai
It’s time for the main event in Manchester! Joshua Buatsi knows that he needs to make a statement tonight to insert himself back into the light heavyweight title mix.
Both men are looking to establish their jabs early doors in this one. Buatsi is on the front foot. Nice left hook-left uppercut two-piece for Parker in the final minute.
10-9 Parker
-
Darshan Desai
Main event up now in Manchester!
-
Darshan Desai
Joshua Buatsi and Zach Parker clash in an all-British light heavyweight contest at the Co-op Live in Manchester.
Buatsi (19-1, 13 KOs) is fresh off a Fight of the Year contender with Callum Smith this past February. In that fight, Buatsi was dethroned of his WBO interim title by Smith on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 undercard. An Olympic bronze medalist, Buatsi left BOXXER following the Smith defeat and signed with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions. He debuts for Queensberry on Saturday.
Parker (26-1, 18 KOs) has won four fights in a row since an injury cut short his WBO interim super middleweight title bout with John Ryder in November 2022. Parker was previously the WBO’s No. 1-ranked contender at super middleweight.
Boxing – Joshua Buatsi & Zach Parker Press Conference – Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester, Britain – August 20, 2025 Joshua Buatsi and Zach Parker go head to head during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
(Action Images via Reuters / Reuters)
-
Darshan Desai
Lyndon Arthur defeats Bradley Rea by majority decision (114-114, 115-113, 115-112) to capture the European light heavyweight title and emerge victorious in a Manchester derby in the Joshua Buatsi-Zach Parker co-feature.
-
Darshan Desai
Uncrowned has Lyndon Arthur 116-112 over Brad Rea over 12 rounds.
-
Rea was rocked by an uppercut from Arthur in Round 9. He looks to be on his way to victory.
Into the penultimate round. DAZN has Rea behind by three points. Uncrowned has him 5 rounds down.
Nice one-two from Arthur. Rea is hesitant to let his hands go once again. Arthur is bossing things with his jab. It’s been a quiet frame. Rea is not really letting his hands go. Close round.
10-9 Rea, 106-102 Arthur
-
DAZN’s Carl Frampton has Arthur 76-75 up — one closer than Uncrowned.
Very quiet first two minutes. Neither man has really landed clean with a power shot. Arthur is sticking out his jab. And it catches Rea coming in. Rea chops down with a right. Rea’s head is an easy target for Arthur’s jab. And a nice combination to end the ninth.
10-9 Arthur, 87-83 Arthur
-
Darshan Desai
Nice combination of straight shots to open the round for Arthur. Arthur chops down with a right on the top of Rea’s head. Another right backs up Rea. Rea fires back with a combination on the inside. Arthur, with some work on the inside, but Rea responds with a right hand. Good body shot from Arthur and then a punch upstairs. Uppercut-body shot two-piece from Arthur. Another uppercut lifts Rea’s chin up. Arthur is doing really well in this fight now. Flurry of shots from Rea to close out Round 8 — some right hands got through.
10-9 Arthur, 77-74 Arthur
-
Darshan Desai
Into the second half of this European title tussle. Arthur connects clean with a long right hand on Rea’s chin. Rea is taking too long to close the gap and is being picked off at long range. Again, Arthur finds a home for a one-two. Arthur gets back behind his jab — it’s looking like a third consecutive good round for him. A third right hand lands on Rea’s chin. The head movement is virtually non-existent. Short right for Rea on the inside. Forty seconds to go in this frame. Now, Rea closes the gap and looks to pressure Arthur on the inside. Nice left hook from Rea to close the seventh.
10-9 Arthur, 67-65 Arthur
-
Darshan Desai
Into the sixth, and Uncrowned has them even. The pace has noticeably slowed in the last couple of rounds. But now Rea is backing Arthur onto the ropes. Nice right-hand, left hook on the inside for Rea. Rea switches angles and fires off with two power shots. Arthur, with a terrific uppercut, lifts Rea’s chin up. Nice two-piece from Arthur on the inside. Now, a right hand knocks Rea’s head back. Arthur is working on the inside. Great fight!
10-9 Arthur, 57-56 Arthur
