Sam Noakes will face former champion Denys Berinchyk on August 29 in a critical lightweight bout. The fight provides Noakes an immediate chance to rebuild from his first career loss and re-establish himself as a genuine contender at 135 pounds.
The contest is scheduled for the undercard of the heavyweight showdown between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic in London. For Noakes (18-1, 16 KOs), this matchup represents a necessary step back into meaningful competition. His momentum was halted last November when he suffered his first professional defeat in a competitive fight against Abdullah Mason for the vacant WBO lightweight title. While he returned with a routine win over a journeyman in May, Berinchyk presents a far more credible challenge.
Berinchyk (19-1, 9 KOs) is a known quantity but faces his own set of questions. The 38-year-old Ukrainian has not competed since February 2025, when he was stopped by Keyshawn Davis and lost his WBO belt. That long layoff, combined with his advancing age, makes his current form an unknown. Still, his experience against high-level opposition makes him a legitimate measuring stick for a younger fighter.
This is a crossroads fight. A victory would prove Noakes belongs among the division’s leading names and that his loss to Mason was a setback, not a definitive ceiling. For Berinchyk, a win would demonstrate he remains a threat in the weight class, defying his age and inactivity. A loss for either fighter would significantly damage their standing in the world-title picture.
