Brad Rea Targets May 9 Win Over Liam Cameron

Brad Rea goes into liam cameron on May 9 in Manchester looking to put November behind him. The 28-year-old light-heavyweight will fight at Co-op Live Arena on the undercard of Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois, with his own case for momentum now tied to a second straight run at the domestic scene.

Rea Wants Another Crack

Rea’s last outing ended in a majority decision defeat to Lyndon Arthur in November, his second professional blemish. Before that, he had outpointed Shakan Pitters unanimously in June to win the EBU title, a result that had pushed him into a stronger position at 175lbs.

Now he is back in a fight that carries a clear test. Rea said, “I think Liam’s up there with the best light-heavyweights in the country. But, for me, it’s the perfect fight to show what I can do.” He also said, “I’d love to get back in there and give it another crack.”

Co-op Live Under Wardley-Dubois

The Manchester date matters because it puts Rea back on a major card rather than in a standalone rebuild. The Co-op Live Arena setting gives the bout a bigger platform, but the opponent is the main hurdle: Cameron is a seasoned domestic-level light-heavyweight, and Rea has described him as a strong test.

That is not a fight built on safety. Cameron said Rea is “too brave for his own good,” pointing to his tendency to neglect defence while trading in the pocket. Rea did not dismiss that reading. “He’s probably right – maybe we could do with having him in the corner, telling me to move my head!” he said.

Rea’s Style Under Pressure

The sharp edge in this matchup is familiar. Rea said, “Sometimes I can get a bit excited and get drawn [into a war], but that’s what the fans want to see at the end of the day.” That leaves May 9 as more than a return bout: it is a chance to show he can keep his work clean after a narrow loss and a shift into fatherhood after November.

For Rea, the next step is straightforward. He has already won the EBU title, taken a hard loss to Arthur, and said he wants another crack at that level. Cameron stands in the way first, and the result in Manchester will show whether Rea can turn a risky style into a cleaner route back toward the top of the division.