Charlie Edwards returns to the ring on Saturday night as he faces Sikho Nqothole at York Hall.
The main event is a final eliminator for the IBF super flyweight world title, meaning the winner will be in line to fight for that title in their next bout.
Charlie Edwards v Sikho Nqothole Tips Preview
Charlie Edwards is bidding to become a two-weight world champion and a victory over Sikho Nqothole on Saturday night should earn him a chance to challenge for the IBF strap.
Edwards held the WBC flyweight title in 2018 and 2019 but vacated that belt due to health concerns over making the weight. The 33-year-old has since held European and WBC silver titles at bantamweight but was unable to make the step up to world level in that division and has now dropped down to 115lbs to try and engineer another chance at world honours.
Edwards, the older brother of retired former flyweight world champion Sunny, made his debut in 2015 and put together an 8-0 record before his first world title challenge. He fought John Riel Casimero on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin vs. Kell Brook for the IBF flyweight title but was stopped in the 10th round as he suffered a first professional defeat.
The Croydon Klitschko responded well to that setback and then won a world title by defeating Cristofer Rosales for the WBC belt. Edwards has notable wins over Georges Ory and Thomas Essomba in recent years but was beaten via split decision by Andrew Cain in 2025.
He was last seen outpointing Salvador Juarez in September last year.
South Africa’s Sikho Nqothole has a 21-3 record and Saturday’s contest represents a big step up for the 31-year-old. Nqothole has spent the majority of his career fighting in his homeland and has only had one professional fight outside of Africa, a unanimous decision defeat to the then unbeaten Rene Calixto in 2024.
Nqothole, who made his debut in 2017, comes into Saturday’s contest on a three-fight winning streak, stopping Halid Kalama in the third round in his last bout.
Charlie Edwards v Sikho Nqothole Tale of the Tape
Charlie Edwards | Sikho Nqothole | |
Record: | 21-2 | 21-3 |
Age: | 33 | 31 |
Birthplace: | Sutton, United Kingdom | Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
Height: | 5' 6" | 6' 1" |
Stance: | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Last Fight: | Won (UD) Salvador Juarez (Sep 2025) | Won (TKO) Halid Kalama (Nov 2025) |
KO%: | 33.33 | 61.90 |
Alias: | The Croydon Klitschko | Sequence |
Charlie Edwards v Sikho Nqothole Top Tip
Charlie Edwards to win by decision or technical decision @ 5/4
Charlie Edwards is on a bit of a personal comeback trail after dropping off the radar at the highest level, but he should have the experience and skill to set up a world title shot by outpointing Sikho Nquothole.
Nqothole has put together a decent 21-3 record and has clear height and reach advantages over the Briton, but he has mostly fought at regional level in South Africa and this test against a former world champion may be a bridge too far.
Edwards is a technically superb fighter, with excellent movement and a very high boxing IQ. He doesn’t carry ba great deal of power and he is dropping down from bantamweight so a stoppage is perhaps unlikely, but Edwards should be able to win this contest by a fairly wide margin on the scorecards.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
