Francesco Grandelli is not one to give up. The Piedmontese boxer has already tried twice, unsuccessfully, to wrap the European champion’s belt around his waist, but those setbacks have not diminished his hunger for victory. This Saturday, Francesco will have his third chance to win the title he has been chasing for years, but to seize it he will have to fight in hostile territory, at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, in front of his opponent Liam Davies’ fans.
Davies is a familiar face to Italian boxing fans. The English fighter stopped our Vincenzo La Femina in November 2023 in a dramatic super bantamweight clash that saw both boxers hit the canvas.
After suffering the only loss of his career, which came in November 2024 at the hands of Shabaz Masoud, Davies decided to move up in weight—a decision that has put him on a collision course with Grandelli on the road to the currently vacant European featherweight title.
Grandelli has already been Italian champion and EBU Silver champion and has stood out throughout his career for the boldness and courage with which he has always accepted even the toughest challenges. Particularly noteworthy was his previous performance in the United Kingdom, in May 2024, against Scotland’s Nathaniel Collins. Despite the defeat, it earned him applause and respect from the British crowd.
Now our standard-bearer is called to make the definitive leap in quality. Francesco can no longer settle for compliments and pats on the back: with nearly eleven years of professional experience, he must aim for the big prize, despite the hostile venue and unfavorable odds from bookmakers, who are offering 6.5 times the stake on his victory.
In our view, that figure is clearly excessive. Davies is a pressure fighter who will certainly be further boosted by the Manchester crowd, but he has also shown significant flaws so far, starting with a stiff upper body and a rather loose defense. Weaknesses that inevitably expose him to counterpunches.
Grandelli, unfortunately, has not been blessed with one-punch knockout power, which makes it unlikely that he will decide the outcome of the fight with a single well-placed shot. However, our boxer can rely on his hand speed and his remarkable punch output, which have already troubled several talented and highly regarded opponents.
The fight, which will be part of the same card as the highly anticipated return of Moses Itauma, will be broadcast live on DAZN.