Anthony Yarde has emerged as the likely first defence for Willy Hutchinson after the Scot won the vacant WBC light-heavyweight title in Manchester on Saturday, 7 November. According to FightNews, Hutchinson, who beat Joshua Buatsi by unanimous decision at the AO Arena, immediately set his sights on an all-British meeting with Yarde, who was watching from ringside.
Hutchinson's win was a revenge victory two years in the making. According to reports, he lost to Buatsi by split decision at Wembley Stadium in September 2024, a fight in which he was knocked down twice, but this time the judges scored it 117-112, 115-113 and 115-113 in his favour over twelve rounds. The title had been vacant after David Benavidez gave it up to move up to cruiserweight, and the contest was upgraded from an interim title fight once Benavidez vacated.
Yarde is a natural next opponent. According to DAZN, the newly crowned champion has plenty of options for his first defence, including three-time world title challenger Yarde, Ben Whittaker, and the winner of next month's fight between Dmitry Bivol and Callum Smith. Yarde, from Hackney in London, has challenged for the world light-heavyweight title three times, against Sergey Kovalev in 2019, Artur Beterbiev in 2023 and David Benavidez in November 2025, and he brings the domestic rivalry Hutchinson's new reign needs.
The numbers underline why the fight makes sense. According to reports, Hutchinson now stands at 21 wins and two defeats with 14 knockouts, while Buatsi falls to 20 wins and two defeats with 13 knockouts after his second professional defeat, having previously lost on points to Callum Smith in February 2025. Yarde's record is 27 wins and four defeats with 24 knockouts, and his punching power would test a champion who won the title behind movement, switch-hitting and counter-punching rather than a stoppage.
Nothing has been agreed yet, and Hutchinson's team will weigh the options in the coming weeks. According to reports, a first defence in the spring has been talked about, and a Yarde fight in London or Manchester would be one of the biggest domestic light-heavyweight contests available. For Yarde, it would be a fourth attempt at a world title; for Hutchinson, it would be the first defence of the belt he predicted as a teenager he would one day win.