Lawrence Okolie vs David Light: Ring walk time, how to watch, live stream, undercard

Lawrence Okolie defends his WBO cruiserweight belt against David Light tonight in his first fight since joining BOXXER and parting ways with Eddie Hearn. 

The 30-year-old described Hearn as ‘malicious, jealous, bitter and vindictive’ in the build-up to his third world title defence as their ugly war of words continued into fight week. 

Okolie (18-0) is also looking to make a statement in the ring, vowing to showcase his development in his first fight with new trainer SugarHill Steward – who also coaches Tyson Fury – having left former cornerman Shane McGuigan. 

The Brit fought only once in 2022 and was unable to land a unification bout he so craves. An emphatic win over Light – who is also unbeaten though against lesser opposition – would resemble a good start to 2023, however. 

With the bout now swiftly approaching, Sportsmail takes you through everything you need to know. 

The Briton is putting his WBO cruiserweight title on the line as he makes his third defence

When is Lawrence Okolie vs David Light?

The clash between Okolie and Light is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 25 at the AO Arena in Manchester.

The pair are expected to walk to the ring at around 10pm for those in the UK, though that will of course depend on results beforehand. 

There are also some notable names on the undercard, particularly Frazer Clarke, who squares off against Bogdan Dinu. 

How to watch the fight 

The fight, which will be a 12-round contest, will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Event. 

Customers will be able to stream the fight via the app on their mobile, tablet or computer device.  

You can also buy a Sky Sports Day Pass from Now for £11.99.

Sportsmail will also be covering the fight live, so you can keep up-to-date with us. 

Okolie vs Light: The key stats 

Okolie won his WBO cruiserweight belt with a KO victory over Krzysztof Glowacki in 2021

‘The Sauce’ has defended his belt twice, most recently against Michal Cieslak at the O2 Arena

Fight card in full

• Lawrence Okolie vs David Light – for WBO cruiserweight title
• Frazer Clarke vs Bogdan Dinu
• Michael Gomez Jnr vs Levi Giles
• Callum Simpson vs Celso Neves
• Rhys Edwards vs Brian Phillips
• Samuel Antwi vs Omir Rodriguez
• Shakiel Thompson vs Robert Talarek
• Karriss Artingstall vs Linzi Buczynskyj
• Frankie Stringer vs Jakub Laskowski
• Harvey Lambert vs Casey Brown

What’s been said? 

Okolie has been typically confident ahead of his first match-up away from Hearn, insisting the loser of the fight will become ‘irrelevant’. 

‘It’s a nice safe place to hide behind being the underdog,’ Okolie said. ‘When I see him I know what he really is. I’m prepared for what he may bring and will do what I need to do.

‘I am going to be from round one matching him and overmatching him for pressure and power.

‘Saturday’s going to come. One of us is going to win and the other one’s going to become irrelevant. So I’m looking forward to it.’

Okolie is fighting for the first time since splitting with Matchroom and Eddie Hearn – and also for the first time since partnering with new trainer SugarHill Steward

Light, meanwhile, insists he has earned his title shot and ensures he’s not coming to Manchester to roll over. 

‘I’m not here on somebody’s else’s terms… I’ve earned the shot,’ he said at Thursday’s press conference.

‘I’m coming to win. I know he’s a proud man and he’s going to defend with everything he’s got,’ he continued. ‘I’m not reinventing the wheel.

‘You’ve got to punch the other person more than they punch you. I’ve done the work.’