Cordina to fight Mason for WBO lightweight title

Former super-featherweight world champion Joe Cordina will fight Abdullah Mason for the American’s WBO lightweight title on Saturday, 4 July.

Cordina lost his IBF 130lb world title in May 2024, a shock defeat by Anthony Cacace the only loss in the Welsh boxer’s 19-fight professional career.

The 34-year-old from Cardiff has since beaten Jaret Gonzalez Quiroz to claim the vacant WBO global lightweight title before dominating Gabriel Flores Jr in California on the way to a unanimous victory on points in December 2025.

Mason will have home advantage for the first defence of the belt he won in an epic encounter with Sam Noakes in November 2025, with Cordina’s challenge to be staged at CSU Wolstein Centre in Cleveland.

Cordina said: “This is a massive test for me, but this it’s one that I’m more than capable of coming through with flying colours. Abdullah Mason is a very good fighter, and he’s going to do big things in boxing, but I’m going to mess up the homecoming.

“I’m looking to come over, rip the title away from him, and take it back to the U.K. It’s a massive fight for boxing, and I’m looking to become a three-time, two-weight world champion.”

Mason said: “July 4th is the homecoming that my brothers and I have been anticipating since before we turned pro. I’m ready to experience all of my city’s support in one building, and I have an appetite for smoke.

Cordina’s promoter, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, said: “Abdullah is a tremendous talent and a real star for the future, but Joe has been there, done it and got the t-shirt.

“Joe showed in California that he’s not afraid to fight in hostile territory and that he still has plenty left in the tank at the top level, and this is a massive chance for him to become a two-weight World champion.”

Cordina won British and Commonwealth titles at lightweight earlier in his career, having been a decorated amateur boxer who fought at an Olympics and in the same Team GB programme as his friend Anthony Joshua.

After turning professional in 2017 he became Wales’ 13th world champion boxer when he beat Kenichi Ogawa to claim the IBF super-featherweight title in June 2022.

Cordina was stripped of the title when he was unable to defend it within a 90-day window after suffering a broken hand, but won it back with a hard-fought split-decision win over Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in April 2023.

He was a strong favourite to retain his belt in Riyadh in May 2024, but the referee stopped the fight in the eighth round of a bout dominated by Belfast’s Cacace.

Cordina was scheduled to make a comeback against Shakur Stevenson in October 2024, but the WBC lightweight champion pulled out with a hand injury.

Returning from a 14-month lay-off in July 2025 he beat Gonzalez Quiroz with a hard-fought points decision at Manchester’s AO Arena, needing to dig deep against the quick-handed and spirited Mexican.

Cordina was given a scare by Flores Jr in a fight billed as a final eliminator for the WBO lightweight world title.

The Welshman was docked a point in the sixth round in Stockton for rabbit punching and saw his knees buckled by an uppercut in round seven.

However Cordina went on to win his first fight in America 117-110 115-112 114-113, establishing himself as Mason’s number one contender.