Johnny Fisher returns to the ring on Saturday at the Copper Box in London with a potentially tricky heavyweight clash with Belgium's Michael Pirotton over 10 rounds.
Johnny Fisher v Michael Pirotton Tips Preview
Johnny Fisher fights for the first time under the Zuffa banner on Saturday night with a 10-round bout against Michael Pirotton.
This will be Fisher's first outing of 2026 and just his second since losing to Dave Allen in a rematch, and if the Romford Bull is able to get a win over the line it should lead to bigger and better things.
Former world champion Deontay Wilder and veteran Briton Dillian Whyte have been mooted as potential next opponents for Fisher, while Richard Riakporhe has opened up the possibility of defending his British heavyweight title against him too.
However, Pirotton shouldn’t be underestimated as the 30-year-old has put together a solid 12-2 record since making his debut in 2019.
Pirotton isn’t necessarily a huge puncher with six of his wins coming inside the distance and he has never been involved in a contest scheduled for more than eight rounds previously.
However, Pirotton is used to fighting, and winning, on the road as he enjoyed a four-fight winning streak on American soil between 2022 and 2024, with the highlight being a third-round stoppage of the then unbeaten Walter Burns.
Fisher made his debut in 2021 and has put together an impressive 14-1 record, including 12 stoppages, and has picked up some impressive wins over the likes of Dmytro Bezus and Allen Babic.
The 27-year-old Briton was awarded a controversial win over Allen before losing the rematch as his corner threw in the towel in the fifth round.
Since the loss to Allen, Fisher has fought once as he stopped the then 7-0 Ivan Balaz in the fourth round in Monte Carlo.
Fisher is rated as the clear 1/12 favourite to win on Saturday and Pirotton can be backed at 6/1.
Johnny Fisher v Michael Pirotton Tale of the Tape
Johnny Fisher | Michael Pirotton | |
Record: | 14-1 | 12-2 |
Age: | 27 | 30 |
Birthplace: | Romford, London, UK | Sprimont, Liege, Belgium |
Height: | 6' 4" | 6' 5" |
Stance: | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Last Fight: | Won (TKO) Ivan Balaz (Dec 2025) | Won (TKO) Jiovani Sheik (August 2026) |
KO%: | 85.71 | 50.00 |
Alias: | The Romford Bull | Bomaye |
Johnny Fisher v Michael Pirotton Top Tips
Johnny Fisher has developed a reputation for being a big puncher who is capable of securing early stoppages, but he may find Michael Pirotton an awkward customer and this contest may well stretch beyond the halfway point.
Pirotton has only lost twice and has never previously been stopped, nor has he ever been knocked down.
The Belgian has a slender height advantage and in terms of his technique is a little more polished than Fisher, so he should be able to keep this fight competitive and may even win a few of the opening rounds in what may not be quite as straightforward a task for Fisher as the prices suggest.
Backing over 4.5 rounds looks a good starting point, but Fisher has the power to secure a late stoppage and backing the home fighter to get the job done in either round 7 or 8 is a value pick.
The Romford Bull is a fairly one-dimensional fighter who will look to put Pirotton under pressure from the off.
Fisher may be a specialist in early finishes but he does carry his power into the latter rounds as he stopped Harry Armstrong in the seventh for the British Southern Area title back in 2023.
Pirotton has only fought beyond six rounds once in his career and he lost that contest on points to Juan Alberts.
In the second half of the fight Fisher’s pressure and power could see him dominate and he can win without needing the judges and either the seventh or eighth rounds seem realistic points where he could engineer a finish.
All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
