Richie Woodhall
Former boxing world champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Fawaz is a little bit too far out with the right hand and that's because Davis is boxing as a southpaw again.

Fawaz has no shortage of confidence. He drops his hands and stands statue-like in the centre of the ring. But Davis is no stranger to this kind of showboating, he was in the ring with Josh Kelly - now IBF light-middleweight world champion - a couple of years ago.

Davis is playing a patient game, stepping off and is yet to truly engage.

Fawaz is having some success with jabs to the body.

Steve Bunce
Boxing expert on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Incredible concentration. Every single inch, every single step they took, every single punch they threw, every single block. Everything. That was ridiculous tension. That's a draining way to start a fight.

Richie Woodhall
Former boxing world champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

I think Davis really respects Fawaz. You can see Fawaz has come out and is looking to push Davis out. Davis has just stayed on the outside of the ring so he can have a look at his opponent.

"Marching on together", the song synonymous with Leeds United, is belted out but the Nottingham faithful do their best to drown it out with boos.

Fawaz takes the centre of the ring and starts sizing up Davis. Fawaz lands a jab to the body and then postures up and starts talking to the British champion.

Davis responds with a sharp left hook. He follows soon after with a right hook to Fawaz's chin.

Image source, Matchroom

Stacey Copeland
Retired boxer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

We're expecting a real humdinger here!

Ishmael Davis is reaping the benefit of Josh Warrington being half of tonight's headline act.

Both Davis and Warrington are from Leeds and those travelling fans are making their voices heard as we get under way.

Before we get into the co-main event, I'll direct you towards Kal Sajad's ringside report from earlier when Sandy Ryan beat Karla Ramos Zamora to win the WBC light-welterweight title.

• Read how it played out

Ishmael Davis knows how to make an entrance.

Leeds-based artist Temz is rapping, friend and European light-heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur is carrying Davis' belt.

He bounces down the ramp and into the ring.

Image source, Matchroom

Kal Sajad
BBC Sport at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham

Bilal Fawaz just went over and gave Eddie Hearn a hug. I think Eddie needed that.

Bilal Fawaz is the first to make the walk.

Fawaz, accompanied by the song 'Ordinary' by Alex Warren, takes a moment to soak in the atmosphere at the top of the ramp before slowing heading towards the ring.

There's a cheeky smile on his face as he stands in the centre of the ring.

Kal Sajad
BBC Sport at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham

After that Dave Allen win (less said of that the better, to be honest) we've been waiting an age for the chief support.

But the arena is now jumping and pretty much full. I'm intrigued to hear what kind of reception Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington will get later. Having just had a little walk around the arena, there are Leeds folk at the turn of every corner.

A couple of swift knockouts in the two heavyweight contests tonight mean we are well ahead of schedule.

The co-main between Commonwealth and British light-middleweight champion Ishmael Davis and Bilal Fawaz was due to start at around 21:20 GMT, but they are making their way to the ring now.

Image source, Getty Images

Bilal Fawaz made his professional debut in 2022 and has compiled a record of 10 wins, one draw and one defeat.

Victory last time out over Junaid Bostan earned Fawaz the English light-middleweight title.

Tonight, Fawaz looks to take the Commonwealth and British light-middleweight belts from Ishmael Davis.

But the 37-year-old is still yet to be granted UK citizenship, despite residing in the country for 24 years.

"How can you be an English champion fighting for a British title and you don't have a British passport? How can you beat the champion of a country and you're not a citizen?" Fawaz told BBC Sport.

"I've been here 24 years. I am British. There's no way about it."

For now, Fawaz's career has a ceiling. He cannot travel abroad for lucrative fights in Saudi Arabia or the US. Instead, a home fight against Sunderland's IBF world champion Josh Kelly is his target. He hopes that continuing to succeed and pick up titles may strengthen his case.

Image source, Getty Images

Staying on the topic of Conor Benn - kind of - for a moment.

The Briton has not fought since beating Chris Eubank Jr in November and yesterday's statement from Zuffa Boxing did not include any details about his next fight.

Benn moved up two divisions to face Eubank and wants to return to welterweight in pursuit of world title bouts.

With that in mind, Benn will no doubt have his eyes firmly fixed on the fight between WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Image source, Getty Images

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has admitted he regrets not "pushing" Conor Benn to sign a new contract with the company after he joined Dana White's Zuffa Boxing.

Speaking to 5 Live Boxing tonight, Hearn said: "I got an email from Conor's lawyer, and that was the first dagger in the heart.

"I reached out to Conor and said, 'no disrespect to your lawyer, but I think you and I need a call.

"Because of everything we've been through, I think I deserve that'.

"Conor said, 'oh no, you'll be very emotional. We'll let it calm down first.' That was an even bigger blow.

"By that point, you know you've lost the relationship and the fighter anyway. They said they would like me to be part of the team moving forward, and I'm not sure in what capacity that would be.

"I blame myself a little bit in the sense that I didn’t push him to sign a new contract.

"I probably took what we did for him for granted, in terms of the loyalty I expected him to show us. I literally died on a hill for him. That's the disappointing thing."

Image source, Getty Images

Eddie Hearn isn't one to hold back and he's come out swinging after Zuffa Boxing and Dana White poached Conor Benn.

It's reportedly only a one-fight deal but Hearn says Zuffa Boxing "don't care about the fighters".

He points to how UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is being treated as he combats a serious eye injury he sustained in a title fight last October.

Aspinall's MMA career is in the balance and recently underwent double eye surgery to try and correct his vision.

"Look at what they did to Tom Aspinall. I mean, Tom Aspinall literally had his eye gouged out in a fight and Dana White basically called him a cry baby and cast him aside, humiliated him in front of everybody, while the guy is having operations to save his eyesight," Hearn told 5 Live Boxing.

"Dana White wouldn’t do what I did for Conor Benn.

"But we’re different people, and we have a different passion for the sport.

Image source, Matchroom

Bilal Fawaz was born in Nigeria but, after suffering severe physical abuse at the hands of his mother, was trafficked to London aged 14.

Fawaz thought he was going to be reunited with his father. Instead he was held in conditions that amounted to modern slavery - cut off from education and the outside world.

After finally escaping, Fawaz entered the care system but feels that system failed him.

"My early years, I wouldn't wish them on anyone," Fawaz told BBC Sport.

"Social services should have helped me, but who am I? I'm just a number. Those traumas leave spiritual and emotional scars.

"I try to pretend they aren't there, but they haunt me. They make me wonder: What if I'd had parents? What if I'd had guidance?"

Image source, Getty Images

Zuffa Boxing's Dana White is certainly ruffling a few feathers in the sport.

"I’ve not spoken to him [White] for a couple of weeks; I had a couple of texts with him," Matchroom's Eddie Hearn told 5 Live Boxing at ringside tonight.

"You’re a pawn in the game if you’re Conor Benn, aren’t you? We’re different organisations.

"I’ve said it before: these guys are very, very powerful, ruthless people. They don’t care about the sport of boxing. In my opinion, they don’t care about the fighters - it’s just a business to them."

"It’s going to be a long, hard battle," Hearn added.

"But I’m also privileged and honoured that it seems to be a battle between me and him. And I’m well up for it.

"I think it’s a blessing to be in those kinds of battles."