Pat Brown Ordered to Defend British Title Against Cheavon Clarke

Pat Brown has knocked out all seven men in front of him. The British Boxing Board of Control just picked the eighth, and it's the guy who flattened Chris Billam-Smith last Saturday.

In its November British championships circular, dated Thursday, Nov. 12, the Board ordered Brown (7-0, 7 KOs) to make a mandatory defense of his British cruiserweight title against Cheavon Clarke. The fight goes to purse bids, due at the Board's head office by noon on Wednesday, Dec. 9, and it has to happen by the end of March 2027. Boxing News 24 also reported the order and the Dec. 9 purse bid date.

How They Got Here

Brown, the 26-year-old Manchester Olympian promoted by Matchroom, won the vacant British and Commonwealth titles on Sept. 19 at Co-op Live in his hometown. He stopped John Hedges in the sixth round with left hooks to the body, the BBC reported. That was only his seventh pro fight.

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Clarke earned his spot the hard way. On Nov. 7 at the Copper Box Arena he stopped former world champion Billam-Smith in the seventh round to headline Zuffa Boxing 12, after both men made weight the day before. ESPN has Clarke at 13-2 with 10 KOs, and The Ring moved him up its cruiserweight rankings this week.

Elsewhere on the Circular

The same Board notice sent several other British title mandatories to purse bids on Dec. 9: Lewis Edmondson vs. Daniel Azeez at light heavyweight (out to bids again), Bilal Fawaz vs. Carl Fail at super welterweight, Luke McCormack vs. Yaser Al Ghena at super lightweight and Louie O'Doherty vs. Cory O'Regan at lightweight. Callum Simpson vs. Mark Jeffers at super middleweight was settled by agreement, with Ben Shalom promoting.

The Kimster's Take

This is the right fight at the right time, and it isn't the easy one. So far Brown has been a highlight reel against men who couldn't stay with him. Clarke is 35 and has been around, and he just showed he can take a former world champion's best and still finish the job. If Brown lands that body shot early, we'll be calling him a future world champion by spring. If Clarke gets past the first few rounds, a seven-fight pro will find out what the deep water feels like. Either way, the British title is doing what it's supposed to do again, and that's matching the hot prospect with the most dangerous man in line. The big names at cruiserweight are busy with Opetaia, Benavidez and the WBC. Down here, this is the domestic fight to watch.

There's a purse bid coming on Dec. 9, so here's a fun one: what do you think this fight goes for? That's the whole idea behind Guess the Purse.