By William Dumoulin

After several years away from the ring, fan-favorite Francis Lafrenière (21-7-2, 11 KOs) made a successful comeback with a unanimous decision victory (97-92, 96-93 x2) over Francy Ntetu (19-7, 4 KOs) in a New Era–promoted event.

There was little feeling-out process as both fighters immediately engaged in close-range exchanges. Lafrenière consistently managed to press Ntetu against the ropes throughout the bout, landing cleaner and more accurate power shots. That sustained pressure ultimately earned him the win in a tightly contested matchup.

With this victory, Lafrenière now positions himself for a highly anticipated clash in 2026 against the legendary Jean Pascal, who had expressed interest in facing the winner for his farewell fight next year.

Steve Rolls Captures Jan Michael Poulin’s Canadian Title

In the first defense of his Canadian super-welterweight championship, Jan Michael Poulin (10-3-3, 3 KOs) went up against seasoned Ontario veteran Steve Rolls (23-4, 12 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout. After suffering a significant cut early on, Rolls rallied and stunned Poulin in the seventh round.

The fight remained competitive, contrasting Poulin’s unorthodox style with Rolls’ superior technical skill. Ultimately, Rolls walked away with the belt, winning by split decision (94-96, 98-92, 97-93).

Other Results from the Event

• Guillaume Gosselin (3-0-1, 2 KOs) scored a brutal first-round knockout over Stephane Barthelemy (1-1-1).

• Hubert Poulin (5-1-1, 1 KO) defeated Facson Perrine (2-1, 2 KOs) by unanimous decision (40-35, 38-37 x2).

• Omar Zaatiti Alieh (3-0, 3 KOs) produced another quick finish, knocking out Abdullah Randolph (4-3, 4 KOs).

• John Ndurowomahoro (1-1, 1 KO) fell short against Christopher Missengue (3-1) in a majority decision (38-38, 39-37 x2).

• Diizon Belfon (3-0, 3 KOs) stopped Rodrigo Sepulveda (3-2-1) with a third-round knockout.

• Dante Tice Oliveira (1-0) won his debut, earning a unanimous decision (40-36 x2, 39-37) over Carl Demontigny (1-3).

• Kirill Bazhenov (3-0, 1 KO) defeated Danilo Mano Teua (2-3) by unanimous decision (38-38, 39-37 x2).

• Adam Fregonas (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Sergio Criado (0-2) by third-round TKO.