Bookmakers made Liam Paro a favorite against Paddy Donovan when they meet in their bout on Friday 16th January 2026 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia.
He is currently 7/10 (-140) to win the bout outright, while you can get 59/50 (+120) on Paddy Donovan if you fancy the small upset.
That means that oddsmakers think there is 57% chance of Paro winning while giving Donovan a 43% chance.
Paro opened as the favorite at 7/10 (-140).
Donovan opened at 59/50 (+120).
The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds in the Welterweight division, which means both fighters will have to make the weight limit of 147 pounds (10.29 stones or 66.82 kg) on the day of the weigh-in.
This contest is an eliminator for the IBF welterweight championship of the world.
Paro vs Donovan Head To Head
Liam Paro steps into the ring with a record of 27 wins, 1 loss, and 0 draws, 16 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
Paddy Donovan will make his way to the ring with a record of 14 wins, 2 losses and 0 draws, with 11 of those wins by knockout.
The stats suggest Donovan has an advantage in power over Paro, with a 79% knockout percentage compared to Paro's 59%.
Liam Paro is the older man by 3 years, at 29 years old.
Both Liam Paro and Paddy Donovan fight out of a southpaw stance.
Paro is the more experienced professional fighter, having had 12 more fights, and made his debut in 2016, 3 years and 7 months earlier than Donovan, whose first professional fight was in 2019. He has fought 81 more professional rounds, totaling 164 compared to Donovan's 83.
Liam Paro goes into the fight ranked number 13 by the WBC, 5 by the WBO, and 2 by the IBF at welterweight.
Paddy Donovan is currently ranked number 3 by the IBF in the 147lb division.
Paro vs Donovan betting form
Paro has beaten 4 of his last 5 opponents, stopping 1 of them, going the distance 3 times.
In his last fight, he won against David Papot on September 18, 2025, by unanimous decision in their 12 round contest at Pat Rafter Arena, Tennyson, Australia. He was a 1/14 (-1400) favorite going into the ring.
Prior to that, he had won against Jonathan Navarro on June 25, 2025, by unanimous decision in the 5th round at Convention Centre, Cairns.
Going into that contest, he had been beaten by Richardson Hitchins on December 7, 2024, by split decision in their IBF World Junior Welterweight championship fight at Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was a 4/5 (-130) favorite going into the ring.
Before that, he had beaten Subriel Matias on June 15, 2024, by unanimous decision in their IBF World Junior Welterweight championship fight at Coliseo Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu, Manatí. He was a 9/2 (+450) underdog going into the ring.
He had defeated Montana Love on December 9, 2023, by knockout in the 6th round at CHASE CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, United States. He was a 2/3 (-150) favorite going into the ring.
Paddy Donovan has stopped 3 of his last 5 opponents.
In his last fight, he lost to Lewis Crocker on September 13, 2025, by split decision in their IBF World Welterweight championship fight at Windsor Park, Belfast, United Kingdom. He was a 4/25 (-630) favorite going into the contest.
Prior to that, he had lost to Lewis Crocker on March 1, 2025, by split decision in the 8th round in their IBF World Welterweight championship fight at The SSE Arena (Odyssey Arena), Belfast. He was a 1/1 (+100) underdog going into the contest.
Going into that contest, he had won against Lewis Ritson on May 25, 2024, by technical knockout in the 9th round at First Direct Arena, Leeds. He was a 3/50 (-1700) favorite going into the contest.
Before that, he had defeated Williams Andres Herrera on January 27, 2024, by technical knockout in the 7th round at Ulster Hall, Belfast. He was a 3/100 (-3300) favorite going into the contest.
He had beaten Danny Ball on November 25, 2023, by technical knockout in the 4th round at 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland. He was a 7/50 (-710) favorite going into the contest.
Who's been more active?
If you think ring rust and activity is a big factor in this fight, Liam Paro has been fighting more than Paddy Donovan.
Liam Paro last fought 3 months and 29 days ago, while Paddy Donovan's last outing was 4 months and 3 days ago.
Paro's last 5 fights have come over a period of 2 years, 1 month and 7 days, which means he has been fighting approximately every 5 months and 2 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 47 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 9.4 rounds on average.
Donovan's last 5 fights have come over a period of 2 years, 1 month and 22 days, meaning he has been fighting on average every 5 months and 5 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 40 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 8 rounds on average.
What’s the Latest Time I Can Bet on Paro vs Donovan Pre Fight?
The fighters are expected to ringwalk at around 10:00 AM UTC at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia, which is 5:00 AM EST or 2:00 AM PST on the West Coast of America, or 10:00 AM GMT in the UK.
