Michael Coffie: record, next fight and profile →
Rice, Coffie Rematch Photos Gallery - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida - In a heavyweight rematch, Jonnie Rice (15-6-1, 10 KOs) proved that his last fight was no fluke, as he outboxed and decisioned Michael Coffie (12-2, 9 KOs) for a ten round unanimous decision. (photos by Ryan Hafey)
Jonnie Rice found a new way to conquer an old foe. The resurgent heavyweight gatekeeper earned a repeat win over Michael Polite Coffie, taking a ten-round, unanimous decision victory in their rematch Saturday evening on Fox Sports Pay-Per-View from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Judges Manuel Marquez (97-93), Toby Tamarkin (97-93) and Peter Zamoyski (99-91) all scored in favor of Rice, who resurrects his career following two defeats preceding his career-defining victories over Coffie.
Michael Coffie insists he will get it right the second time around. The heavyweight hopeful is presented with a chance to avenge his lone career defeat, which came in a shockingly one-sided, fifth-round stoppage to Jonnie Rice just five months ago. Rice (14-6-1, 10KOs) was a late replacement for Gerald Washington (Covid) and entered the July 31 Fox-televised main event as a 10-1 underdog. Coffie was seemingly caught off guard from the opening bell and never in the fight as he was dealt his first loss as a pro.
Rice-Coffie, Washington-Demirezen, Faust-Kiladze Weights Photos Gallery - Top heavyweight Luis “King Kong” Ortiz and former world champion Charles Martin went face-to-face at the official weigh-in Friday before they meet in an IBF Heavyweight Title Eliminator headlining a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View this Saturday, January 1 from Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. (photos by Ryan Hafey)
By Jake Donovan - Jonnie Rice knows he can no longer bank on the element of surprise heading into his rematch with Michael Coffie. That doesn’t make him any less confident of repeating what happened in their first fight just five months ago. “There is a lot of pressure to show that it was for real,” Rice confessed during the final
Sanchez-Hammer, Rice-Coffie, Washington-Demirezen Final Press Conference Photos Gallery - Top heavyweight Luis “King Kong” Ortiz and former world champion Charles Martin went face-to-face at the final press conference Thursday before they meet in an IBF Heavyweight Title Eliminator headlining a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View this Saturday, January 1 from Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. (photos by Ryan Hafey)
The new year will kick off with a heavyweight bang, as five exciting heavyweight matchups take center stage on a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View on New Year’s Day live from Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
A combination of Olympic competition on NBC and three low-profile fights led to FOX’s lowest-rated boxing broadcast Saturday night since the network began paying for Premier Boxing Champions’ content late in 2018. Nielsen Media Research revealed Tuesday that the three-bout “FOX PBC Fight Night” telecast drew an average of 621,000 viewers. A peak audience of 696,000 tuned in toward the end of an upset in the main event – Jonnie Rice’s fifth-round, technical-knockout victory over heavily favored Michael Coffie at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
NEWARK, New Jersey – Mere minutes after pulling off a huge upset on boxing’s most expansive television platform, Jonnie Rice still didn’t have it in him to be boastful.
Jonnie Rice found out he would be fighting Michael Coffie on national television the same way and the same time everyone else did. Rice was enlisted as a standby alternate for the scheduled bout between Coffie and Gerald Alexander, a common practice particularly during pandemic-era boxing. Two weeks prior to the bout, Rice had checked in with Washington to wish him well, and Washington revealed to him that he wasn’t feeling well. Rice suggested that maybe he was just overtraining, offered some friendly encouragement and thought nothing more of it.