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UK light heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to life under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's activity level likely gained him a split decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.

But the challenger had his moments, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the techniques didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching disrupting the contest.

The officials judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a even score.

"It wasn't my best performance but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was greeted with boos from the spectators.

The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.

Several boxing experts thought Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.

The Champion Earns Win in Uneventful Encounter

The fighter's advancement has slowed in the past few years through management issues and extended periods of lack of fights.

Previously predicted as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what feels like a last chance - under recent support.

He opened tentatively, with neither fighter prepared to be aggressive in a cagey initial rounds.

Parker, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was competing in only his second bout at light-heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to barely take the cleaner rounds.

The crowd's patience wore thin because of regular grabbing, with the challenger going down various instances during clinches.

Parker ended stronger, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just a single round.

Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still seems difficult.

Hatton Tribute Inspires Local Rivalry Battle

In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific all-Manchester battle to secure the European light-heavyweight championship.

The stadium became quiet for a deeply poignant memorial ahead of the contest as ten bells rang in memory of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in last month.

It was the premier televised match card in the location since Hatton's passing. As the final chime ended, the silence became a roar of "only one Hatton".

The fighting inside the ropes matched the sentiment. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook squarely on the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the referee's count.

But the red-colored equipment of the fighter soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged soon, heavy swelling appearing under his orbital area as the duo exchanged powerful shots.

Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action hardly diminished over twelve rounds.

The victor narrowly won the result with judges scorecards of 114-114, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were determined and brave, everything their idol Hatton stood for.