In a Boxing Matchmaker’s Skin

Introduction

A boxing matchmaker is responsible for using judgment and experience to pair fighters within a combat event. This role requires detailed analysis of a fighter’s background, experience, performance, and style.

Matchmaking is the foundation of any successful fight card. When done correctly, it creates competitive, exciting, and entertaining bouts. When done poorly, it can affect safety, fairness, and the overall quality of the event. In this blog, I share my personal experience as a matchmaker so readers can better understand what truly goes on behind the scenes.

I am a boxing matchmaker and promoter, and this year I began supplying professional boxers with opportunities through the network I have built over three years of matchmaking at semi-professional level. Everything written here is based on real experience.

What Matchmaking Really Means

In boxing, matchmaking is the process of selecting and pairing opponents in a way that makes sense competitively, commercially, and developmentally. Reaching this level requires time, patience, and constant evaluation.

Perfection in matchmaking does not always exist. Fighters’ records can be misleading, and experience on paper does not always reflect ability in the ring. Boxing has evolved significantly, with multiple formats now coexisting: charity boxing, influencer boxing, semi-professional/white collar, amateur, and professional levels. Each requires a different approach.

For example, a fighter with five charity bouts can reasonably be matched with an influencer boxer, as the goal is entertainment and competition rather than elite performance. A semi-professional or white-collar fighter with around ten bouts, depending on the promotions they have competed in, may be suitable for an intermediate amateur (5–8 bouts). Likewise, an elite amateur can sometimes step in with a professional, as both share a strong amateur foundation.

Cross-Discipline Matchmaking

Matchmaking becomes more complex when fighters from different combat disciplines are involved, such as MMA, K-1, or Muay Thai athletes transitioning into boxing. While these fighters understand striking and hand usage, their habits differ significantly.

In these cases, matchmaking decisions are based on fight footage, sparring videos, and overall performance. I also apply England Boxing (EB) conversion guidelines to assess experience. As a general reference:

2 MMA or Muay Thai fights = 1 boxing bout

This helps convert experience from other disciplines into a boxing context.

A Real-Life Example

A good example of cross-discipline matchmaking involved BXGP intermediate middleweight Youssef Kamal (4 wins, 3 losses) and Bilal Hotak, an MMA fighter with a record of 1 win and 3 losses.

On paper, the matchup appeared reasonable using experience conversion. However, the fight highlighted how different disciplines influence a boxing contest. Bilal used constant clinching to close distance, disrupt rhythm, and limit Youssef’s movement. Youssef showed strong boxing skills and footwork, but Bilal adapted by applying physical pressure and controlling the pace.

This fight demonstrated how MMA habits , particularly clinch control , can play a decisive role in boxing, and why records alone never tell the full story. It reinforced the importance of analysing styles, not just numbers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o24So9kaH2c&t=541s “Minutes 9:00–15:16 in the link”

The Reality of Modern Matchmaking

A good matchup is not defined solely by power or technical ability. The era where any boxer could fight anyone is largely over. Coaches and management teams now carefully select opponents based on stylistic compatibility.

Aggressive pressure fighters are often kept away from passive or technical boxers, as teams aim to minimise risk. While this approach may be understandable, it raises questions about fairness, as both fighters enter a combat sport knowing physical impact is inevitable.

The Business Side of the Sport

The financial aspect of boxing often complicates matchmaking. For promoters, strong fights are important but financial viability comes first.

When two fighters are potential matches, weight negotiations and conditions often favour the fighter with higher ticket-selling or marketing value. Fighters who sell more tickets usually have greater leverage in determining fight terms. While this may not always feel fair, it is part of the reality of the business, and experienced fighters eventually learn to navigate it.

Respect for Fighters

As a boxing coach for nearly ten years, I fully understand what it takes for a fighter to step into the ring. The sacrifices are significant:

• Strict diet and sleep discipline

• Consistent, intense training

• Hiring personal trainers or nutritionists

• Financial investment

• Sacrificing social life and recovery time

All of this leads to 12–15 minutes of action after roughly three months of preparation with no guarantee the opponent will even make it to fight night.

This is why matchmakers often rely on journeymen and journeywomen. A good matchmaker maintains a strong network of reliable fighters who can step in at short notice and be compensated properly. Nobody fights for free.

Conclusion

Matchmakers are a crucial part of combat sports. Without their work, fights simply do not happen. The quality of an event reflects the quality of its matchmaking.

Fans buy tickets to be entertained, and it is our responsibility to deliver. This requires going the extra mile, negotiating fairly, and balancing competition, safety, and business realities.

As a matchmaker, you act as an agent for the promotion you represent. Reputation is built over time and can be lost very quickly. I fell in love with boxing 16 years ago, and to this day, I often feel just as excited if not more than the promoter when watching a fight I originally matched.

I currently operate mainly at semi-professional level with the Boxing Grand Prix, where my goal is to make fighters feel they are one step below professional boxing.

To learn more about upcoming Boxing Grand Prix shows in 2026, follow us on Instagram:

@fsbmanagement @bxgpofficial