Ryan Garner to face James Dickens in Bournemouth on 9 January

Ryan Garner will fight James "Jazza" Dickens on 9 January at The BIC in Bournemouth, according to BBC Sport. Garner is the WBC interim super-featherweight champion. The WBC is one of boxing's four major sanctioning bodies, the organisations that approve title fights and rank fighters. An interim title is a secondary belt, often held while the main champion is unable to fight.

Super-featherweight is the division with a 130-pound limit, about 59 kilograms. Garner has now fought 20 times as a professional and has not lost. He won the European super-featherweight title in early 2025, then claimed the British and Commonwealth belts with a win over Reece Bellotti later that year.

His biggest night so far came in June at St Mary's Stadium, where he outpointed Michael Magnesi over 12 rounds in front of 13,000 supporters. Outpointing means winning on the judges' scorecards rather than by knockout. Garner was on top of the scorecards at the final bell.

Dickens is a former world champion. His professional record stands at 36 wins and 7 losses. In September he beat Ramadhani Kimwaga on a decision, which means the judges scored the fight in his favour over the distance.

His most recent big chance came in March, when he lost to Anthony Cacace in Dublin for the WBA super-featherweight title. The WBA is another of the four major sanctioning bodies. Garner was watching that bout closely. At the time he said he had his eye on the winner, so Cacace's win pointed towards a possible route into a bigger fight for him.

Now the two men meet in a bout with a clear story. Garner brings an unbeaten record and a run of wins at home and abroad. Dickens brings experience at world level and a recent decision win. Fans newer to the sport can expect a fight that tests both men's records, with the result to be decided in the ring on 9 January.