The bout took place on 31/1 in Newcastle, as part of the undercard for the IBF super welterweight title fight between Josh Kelly and Bakhram Murtazaliev. The focus was on Kiaran MacDonald, a 28-year-old British boxer making his professional debut.
MacDonald had previously won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games as an amateur. For his professional debut, he was matched against Marius Vysniauskas, a 39-year-old Lithuanian boxer with years of professional experience.
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Kiaran MacDonald (right) during his fight against Marius Vysniauskas in Newcastle, United Kingdom, on 31/1/2026. Photo: DAZN
Soon after videos of the fight circulated on social media, many boxing fans expressed surprise at the clear disparity between the two boxers. In the ring, MacDonald appeared significantly superior to his opponent in physique and power, consistently dominating and landing numerous blows on Vysniauskas.
According to BoxRec data, Vysniauskas is listed at 1,68 m, while MacDonald is 1,65 m. However, MacDonald appeared much larger than the Lithuanian boxer in reality. This visual difference helped the fight attract over 3,3 million views from a single post by DAZN Boxing on X.
It is not uncommon in boxing for newly professional fighters to face opponents with modest records. Such opponents are often called "journeymen", helping young boxers gain experience and build their initial records. In essence, journeymen are fighters who are expected to lose.
Against MacDonald, Vysniauskas suffered his 28th consecutive defeat. The Lithuanian boxer began his career with three wins but has not secured another victory since. He is also known for his high activity, having fought five times in just six months in 2024.
A moment from the fight between MacDonald and Vysniauskas.
On social media, many fans questioned the matchmaking. Some commented that MacDonald's opponent looked like an older boxer lacking competitiveness. Others suspected it was an exhibition match, despite it being officially sanctioned.
"So you dragged the janitor from that building into the ring?" questioned user @LordSportsPicks.
"This is an exhibition match, right? There's no way they'd let this short old man fight that kid and allow the bout to happen," @Gbaby894 responded.
User @flyinggmma sarcastically added, "Boxing is so bad that someone's grandpa is getting beaten up here."
Despite being dominated for most of the fight, Vysniauskas endured to the final bell and was not knocked out. The bout concluded with MacDonald winning by points decision. A segment of the audience also acknowledged Vysniauskas's effort for his ability to withstand punishment and complete the match.
In the main event, Josh Kelly claimed the IBF super welterweight championship after defeating Bakhram Murtazaliev by majority decision.
By Hoang An
