Now, they’ll finally settle it in the ring, not far from where Foster trains in Houston.
Foster (24-3, 12 KOs) will defend his World Boxing Council junior welterweight belt against Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs) on May 30 at University of Houston’s Fertitta Center. The fight will be streamed on DAZN.
However, Foster really turned heads when he completely blew out two-division champion Stephen Fulton by lopsided decision in December in San Antonip.
That performance launched the 32-year-old Foster into talks to fight undefeated Shakur Stevenson, but he’ll get Ford, and he’ll get to do it close to home in his first fight in Houston since 2018.
“I’m happy and excited to fight at home for the first time as a world champion — it’s a dream come true,” Foster said. “We will be 1,000 percent prepared, and we will dominate from round one.”
The 27-year-old Ford, who is from New Jersey but also trains in Houston at J Prince Boxing Gym, briefly held a belt at 126 pounds in 2024 before losing it and moving up in weight where he won three in a row, including a decision over veteran Abraham Nova in August that pushed him to No. 2 in the WBC rankings, setting up the grudge match with Foster.
“I’m just happy he finally signed the contract,” Ford said. “When it came down to it, I was the biggest fight out there for him and now it’s time to fight and I can’t wait for it. He’s a good name for my résumé and I’m taking that belt on May 30 and becoming a two-weight world champion.”
Tickets will go on sale at a later date.