Frank Warren partners with the BBC for radio rights:beginnning this weekend with Frampton v Donaire

Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren (left) is delighted to announce a multi-event deal with the BBC for exclusive radio rights to his World Championship boxing events. The first event on the multi fight deal will get underway this Saturday at Belfast’s SSE Arena, with BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Northern Ireland broadcasting exclusive radio commentary of Irish boxing legend Carl Frampton’s Interim WBO World Featherweight Championship clash against four division World Champion Nonito Donaire.

Further radio coverage on the deal will include live commentary of the IBF World Featherweight title clash between Lee Selby and Josh Warrington at the home of Leeds United, Elland Road on 19^th May and WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders’ Title defence against domestic rival Martin Murray on 23^rd June at London’s O2 Arena.

Frank Warren: “I’m delighted to partner with the BBC for exclusive radio commentary on my events. This is great news for boxing fans as they will be delivering live commentary of three huge upcoming World Championship events of mine, with many more to be added in the coming weeks and months.”

Ben Gallop, Head of BBC Radio and Digital Sport, said: “This new deal with Frank Warren is fantastic for boxing fans and 5 live Sport alike. This weekend’s bout between Carl Frampton and Nonito Donaire is an exciting proposition, as are the forthcoming fights in May and June, and our exclusive blow-by-blow commentary will ensure fans won’t miss a moment of the action on 5 Live and the BBC Sport website.”

Jane Tohill, Executive Producer, BBC Sport NI said: “Carl Frampton is one of Northern Ireland’s biggest and most popular sporting stars. He has a huge following here so it’s great to be able to bring fans the action from his much anticipated fight on Saturday night, live on BBC Radio Ulster, with this new deal  with Frank Warren.”

Saturday’s Belfast showdown between Frampton and Donaire sees the meeting of two men who were both previously recognised as Fighter of the Year by the Ring magazine, ESPN and the Boxing Writers’ Association of America, and both will be determined to secure a shot at becoming a World Champion once again by claiming the Interim WBO crown.

Frampton said: “The injured WBO World Champion Oscar Valdez must face the Interim Champion when he is ready and that’s a big incentive for myself and Donaire. The Valdez fight is very appealing to me and obviously the winner of Selby v Warrington is also equally as appealing.”

Frampton believes he may have to produce a career-best performance to overcome 42-fight veteran Donaire in front of what will be a sell-out crowd come Saturday.

“With so much riding on this fight I need to make sure that I’m going to put in the performance of my career, which it might take to win this fight,” added Frampton.

Saturday’s massive evening of boxing also features WBO Bantamweight Champion of the World Zolani Tete (26-3-0, 21 KO’S) making the second defence of his title against Omar Andres Narvaez (48-2-2, 25 KO’s) after his World recording-breaking KO win at the same arena in November.