Two unbeaten fighters. One vacant world title. A 17-year age gap that frames the entire contest. On May 23, 2026, Hamzah Sheeraz and Alem Begic contest the vacant WBO World Super Middleweight title at the Pyramids of Giza. Youth and explosive power against experience and durability — both men enter with unblemished records and everything to prove.
| Date | Saturday, May 23, 2026 |
| Venue | Pyramids of Giza, Egypt |
| Division | Super Middleweight (168 lbs) |
| Scheduled Rounds | 12 |
| Title | Vacant WBO World Super Middleweight |
| Ringwalk | 7:00 PM UTC / 3:00 PM EST / 8:00 PM BST |
Hamzah Sheeraz is one of the most exciting unbeaten prospects turned contenders in British boxing. At just 25, the London-born fighter has already amassed a 22-0-1 record with 18 knockouts — an 82% KO rate that stands as one of the highest among active world-level super middleweights. Across 103 professional rounds, Sheeraz has demonstrated the ability to stop fighters cleanly and the chin to absorb pressure when opponents force the fight.
The number that defines his credentials is from July 2025: Sheeraz stopped Edgar Berlanga in the fifth round. Berlanga — himself a 22-0 knockout machine who had beaten Canelo Alvarez — was considered one of the division’s elite. Sheeraz dismantled him inside five rounds. That performance, captured fully in the Boxing Data round-by-round stats, showed exceptional pressure, punch accuracy, and the timing to land the finishing shot when Berlanga was hurt. It is the kind of scalp that announces a fighter has arrived at the top table.
| Sheeraz | |
|---|---|
| Record | 22-0-1 (18 KOs) |
| KO Rate | 82% |
| Age | 25 |
| Height | 6’3” (190 cm) |
| Reach | 75.2” (191 cm) |
| Nationality | English |
| Rounds Fought | 103 |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| W | Edgar Berlanga | KO | 5 |
| W | Liam Williams | TKO | 8 |
| W | Carlos Adames | UD | 12 |
| D | Magomed Kurbanov | Draw | 12 |
| W | Janibek Alimkhanuly | TKO | 7 |
Alem Begic has done things the long way. The German fighter of Bosnian heritage brings a 29-0-1 record and 23 stoppages — a 79% KO rate almost as imposing as Sheeraz’s — to the biggest fight of his career at 39. Where most fighters are winding down at this age, Begic has fought his way into a WBO world title fight by dismantling opponents consistently over a long, productive career.
Begic’s durability is his most underrated asset. He has never been stopped, has gone the full distance against quality opponents, and his 79% KO rate has been achieved without the marquee platform that Sheeraz has enjoyed. At 6’1”, he is two inches shorter than Sheeraz, but his experience of navigating championship rounds and finding the stoppage in the later stages of fights will be the central question of this matchup.
| Begic | |
|---|---|
| Record | 29-0-1 (23 KOs) |
| KO Rate | 79% |
| Age | 39 |
| Height | 6’1” (185 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Nationality | German |
| Rounds Fought | ~230 |
| Sheeraz | Begic | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 22-0-1 | 29-0-1 |
| KOs | 18 (82%) | 23 (79%) |
| Age | 25 | 39 |
| Height | 6’3” | 6’1” |
| Reach | 75.2” | — |
| Pro Rounds | 103 | ~230 |
The KO rates are virtually identical. The age gap — 14 years — is not. Sheeraz brings height, reach, and the explosive best-years power of a 25-year-old. Begic brings two decades of professional ring experience and the knowledge of how to win a hard fight late.
This is a genuine clash of generations at its most fascinating. Sheeraz’s 82% KO rate is not a statistical aberration — it reflects genuine, brutal concussive power combined with the intelligence to set up shots. Against Berlanga, he did not simply overwhelm; he engineered the stoppage through pressure, cut off the ring, and timed the finishing sequence perfectly. Against Begic, who is shorter, more experienced, and not afraid to trade, that pattern will be tested.
Begic’s best route is to make Sheeraz uncomfortable early. If the younger man can be staggered or made to fight defensively in the opening rounds, Begic’s experience kicks in — he has been in harder spots than Sheeraz has at this stage of his career. But if Sheeraz controls the fight from the outside, uses his two-inch height advantage to land the jab, and keeps Begic at range, the 25-year-old’s power should be decisive before the championship rounds.
The biggest risk for Sheeraz is complacency. Begic is 39 but unbeaten — 29 fights, never been stopped. That resilience deserves respect.
Sheeraz:
Begic:
Begic deserves significant respect, but the combination of Sheeraz’s age, power, height, and the Berlanga scalp on his record makes this fight very difficult to pick against the younger man. Two fighters with almost identical KO rates meeting at world title level is genuinely compelling — but Sheeraz has been doing it against better opposition.
Prediction: Sheeraz TKO, rounds 6–9. He will be disciplined early, use the reach advantage to land clean, and when Begic takes damage in the middle rounds, Sheeraz’s finishing instinct — proven to devastating effect against Berlanga — will close the show.
| Country | Broadcaster | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Sky Sports Box Office | 8:00 PM BST |
| 🇺🇸 United States | ESPN+ PPV | 3:00 PM EST |
| 🌍 International | Various streaming | 7:00 PM UTC |
Sheeraz vs Begic is part of one of the most stacked cards in recent boxing history. The headliner is Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven for all four heavyweight titles. Also on the bill: Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov for three welterweight world titles, Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr in an IBF heavyweight eliminator, and Mizuki Hiruta defending the WBO Super Flyweight title against Mai Soliman.
When is Sheeraz vs Begic? Saturday, May 23, 2026. Ringwalk is expected at approximately 7:00 PM UTC (8:00 PM BST / 3:00 PM EST).
What title is on the line in Sheeraz vs Begic? The vacant WBO World Super Middleweight title (168 lbs).
How did Sheeraz beat Berlanga? Sheeraz stopped Edgar Berlanga by KO in the 5th round in July 2025 — one of the most significant wins by any British fighter that year.
How old is Alem Begic? Begic is 39 years old and enters with a 29-0-1 record — he has never been stopped professionally.
What is Hamzah Sheeraz’s KO rate? Sheeraz has stopped 18 of his 22 opponents — an 82% KO rate, one of the highest among active world-level super middleweights.
How can I watch Sheeraz vs Begic in the UK? The fight is available on Sky Sports Box Office as part of the Usyk vs Verhoeven card.
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