Both Fighters Ejected from the Ring in Dramatic Boxing Bout

The intense bout between Liam Cameron and Benjamin Whittaker on November 12 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ended in a surprising twist when both fighters were ejected from the ring in the fifth round, leading to a dramatic draw for the two British light-heavyweight boxers.

In the opening rounds, Whittaker had the upper hand, displaying precise punches that forced Cameron into a defensive stance, with Cameron moving continuously to keep his distance. Using his strategic and accurate strikes, Whittaker dominated early, making it difficult for Cameron to counter.

However, as the fight progressed, Cameron found his rhythm and began to press forward, adding intensity to the match. With around 10 seconds left in the fifth round, Cameron pressured Whittaker into the corner of the ring, forcing him to clinch and limit Cameron’s punches. In this moment, the two fighters lost their balance and both tumbled out of the ring, leaving the audience stunned.

After the fall, Cameron quickly got back on his feet, eager to resume the fight. But Whittaker appeared to suffer a serious foot injury and showed visible signs of pain. Although Cameron’s corner suspected that Whittaker was exaggerating the injury to avoid continuing, medical personnel assessed Whittaker and decided to take him for an X-ray. He left the ring in a wheelchair, bringing the fight to an early end.

The judges’ scores were 58-57 for Whittaker, 58-57 for Cameron, and 58-58, resulting in a draw. Cameron expressed frustration after the fight, stating, “Whittaker was out of gas. He was exhausted by the second round. I worked hard to earn this victory and deserved it. He wanted an exit—just look at that moment again.”

However, CompuBox statistics painted a different picture, showing Whittaker as the more accurate striker across all metrics. He landed 101 of his 271 punches for a 37.3% accuracy rate over five rounds, compared to Cameron’s 89 out of 266, or 33.5%.

Liam Cameron began his professional career in October 2009, achieving 23 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw, and 1 no-contest. He held the Commonwealth middleweight title from 2017 to 2018 and has challenged for the super-middleweight title between 2015 and 2016.

Benjamin Whittaker, at age 27, is known for his unique fighting style, often criticized for showboating. He made headlines in July 2023 for dancing and mocking his Slovak opponent Vladimir Belujsky during a technical knockout victory. Whittaker has represented England internationally, winning several accolades, including a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships and a silver medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the light heavyweight division, where he lost to Arlen Lopez in the final.