Keith Thurman returns to fight in Australia on March 12

Keith Thurman has unexpectedly agreed to return to the ring in a fight with Brock Jarvis at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia on March 12.

The former welterweight champion’s career was considered in jeopardy after a torn biceps forced him to withdraw from a date with Tim Tszyu in March 2024. 

Instead, one year on, and having fought only once since his only defeat – by the great Manny Pacquiao in July 2019 – he will fight outside of his native America for the first time, against Australia’s Jarvis at 154lbs.

Jarvis, 26, lost for the first time in October 2022, inside a round at junior welterweight against his compatriot Liam Paro. He has since recorded successive victories – at welterweight over Marlon Paniamogan, and at middleweight over Adrian Rodriguez in December 2024. 

That No Limit, Tszyu’s co-promoters, are overseeing Thurman-Jarvis means that the winner can be expected to later be matched with Tszyu, who remains his country’s most popular fighter but is being forced to rebuild following successive defeats – by Sebastian Fundora, who replaced Thurman as his opponent, and Bakhram Murtazaliev in October 2024. 

Michael Zerafa, also of Australia, is to fight Germany’s Besir Ay on the undercard. Zerafa hopes to pursue a fight with Tszyu, or Tszyu’s younger brother Nikita, later in 2025.

George Kambosos Jnr, incidentally, is also on course to fight in Sydney in March, according to his promoters Matchroom.