Overview
- The main event on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre finished as a split draw with judges' cards reading 117-111, 115-113 and 114-114.
- The fight featured a third-round clash of heads that opened a cut on Nikita Tszyu and a ninth-round low blow by Ben Mahoney that required a timeout and a warning from the referee.
- Both fighters publicly conceded the bout was exceedingly close, with Tszyu saying he thought Mahoney edged the fight and Mahoney insisting he won while expressing openness to a rematch.
- The draw preserves both men’s unbeaten records but leaves the IBF super-welterweight title pathway to champion Josh Kelly unresolved, making a rematch or further ranking action the most direct way to pick a challenger.
- The result has prompted heated reactions from promoters and the crowd, prompted talk of an official review of one judge’s wide card, and intensified debate over subjective scoring in Australian boxing that could shape local pay‑per‑view plans and the Tszyu family’s campaign.