Liam Paro defeats David Papot by decision in Brisbane

Liam Paro has edged out David Papot by unanimous decision after twelve bruising rounds in their IBF welterweight title eliminator at Brisbane’s Pat Rafter Arena. The judges scored it 117-111, 116-112, and 116-112 in favour of Paro.

From the opening bell, it was clear that this would not be a straightforward debut at 147 lbs for Paro. Papot, a 34-year-old French veteran previously unbeaten in 31 outings, came out sharp, using his southpaw jab and movement to unsettle Paro. In round three, Paro managed a clean left hand that split Papot’s brow and left the Frenchman’s nose bleeding.

But the fight turned dramatically in round four. Papot landed a stiff right hand that fractured or severely bruised Paro’s right eye, closing it gradually. From that point, Paro was forced to fight much more cautiously, relying increasingly on his lead hand, body work and positioning rather than clear vision. Papot sensed opportunity: he threw with more urgency, mixed feints with lefts and worked over Paro’s damaged side.

Paro, to his credit, absorbed the pressure. He managed to hold the centre, let Papot walk in at times, then counter. His southpaw jab was more frequent in rounds seven and eight, helping him steady the momentum. Papot did have moments – particularly mid-fight rounds where his activity and volume seemed to swing judges’ attention – but often without enough precision to dominate exchanges.

In the championship rounds, Paro showed grit. Despite severely impaired vision from the fourth onward, he managed to edge the late rounds by increasing output, trying combinations, and showing ring generalship: cutting angles, keeping Papot off balance, preventing him from unloading clean power shots. In the final round, before the bell, Paro crossed himself, then pressed forward, working the body and head with urgency, sealing the decision.

With this win, Paro improves to 27-1, while Papot suffers his first official professional defeat. The stakes were high: this was more than just a belt eliminator. For Paro, it validates his move up to welterweight and enhances his claim for a world title shot – notably against IBF champion Lewis Crocker.

While the win may look comfortable on the cards, in the ring, it was anything but. Paro’s injury forced him to adapt; Papot’s resilience and clever timing kept pressure throughout. Fans in Brisbane got a fight that tested both heart and skill. Paro didn’t dominate every round, but he did enough when the rounds were close. In the hierarchy of welterweights, this result propels him further into serious contention.