At 21, Moses Itauma is being moved with intent, placed against a fighter who has already gone rounds with the division’s established names. Jermaine Franklin is not coming to survive. He is here to test whether the momentum around Itauma has any substance when it meets experience.
This fight sits at the point where potential begins to demand proof. Itauma has moved fast, almost too fast for a heavyweight. Franklin has already stood in front of Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua and lasted. The question is not whether Itauma can look good, but whether he can manage a measured, resistant opponent without relying on early momentum.
When and where to watch the fight
Event: Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin
Date: Saturday, March 28 2026
Venue: Co-op Live Arena, Manchester
Start time: 6pm UK time
Main event ringwalks: Around 10pm UK time
Broadcast: DAZN (UK and international)
The card is shown live on DAZN with standard subscription access. No additional pay-per-view fee has been announced.
Itauma enters the bout with a record of 13-0 and a reputation built on efficiency rather than volume. His rise has been fast, and the matchmaking has been deliberate. Franklin represents the first opponent in some time who knows how to slow a contest down and survive difficult moments. That alone makes this a meaningful test.
Franklin’s losses came at world level, and he was competitive in long stretches of both. He understands distance, pacing, and how to make young heavyweights work. For Itauma, this is less about power and more about control, patience, and ring awareness over multiple rounds.
Full fight card
Main event
Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin
10×3 Heavyweight
Chief support
Willy Hutchinson vs Ezra Taylor
10×3 Light heavyweight
Undercard
Liam Davies vs Zak Miller
10×3 Featherweight
Shakiel Thompson vs Brad Pauls
10×3 Middleweight
Nathan Heaney vs Gerome Warburton
10×3 Middleweight
Aqib Fiaz vs Jordan Flynn
10×3 Lightweight
Alex Murphy vs Josh Holmes
10×3 Commonwealth Silver Lightweight
Nelson Birchall vs Ryan Griffiths
8×3 Super featherweight
This is a night designed to clarify where several careers stand, but none more so than the one at the top of the bill.