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UK light heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a close ten-round contest at the boxing arena.

But the challenger had his moments, delivering effective single shots in a fight where the approaches didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing disrupting the action.

Two judges had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my greatest showing but what do champions do? They win," the victor said in the ring as he was faced boos from the spectators.

The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.

Various analysts believed the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second defeat of his 28-match professional journey.

Buatsi Earns Win in Dull Affair

The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent years through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the future of British boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.

He started carefully, with neither fighter ready to overcommit in a cagey initial rounds.

The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second bout at light heavyweight.

By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, making life awkward for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to narrowly win the more effective rounds.

The audience's tolerance diminished during constant clinching, with the challenger falling to the floor various instances during grappling.

The underdog closed well, but multiple periods were hard to judge. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.

The victor moves on, but with the presence of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still appears challenging.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires Local Rivalry Fight

In the co-main event, Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester fight to secure the European light-heavyweight belt.

The venue became quiet for a extremely emotional homage prior to the bout as ten bells sounded in remembrance of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in September.

It was the premier televised match card in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the silence gave way to a shout of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".

The fighting during the bout reflected the feeling. The eventual winner was floored by a powerful punch directly to the jaw in the second round, standing uncertainly to his footing on the referee's count.

But the Manchester United-red attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged quickly, heavy swelling appearing under his face as the duo landed punishing blows.

The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over twelve rounds.

The victor narrowly won the result with official scores of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but the two athletes were determined and full of heart, exactly what their idol Hatton embodied.