Top Heavyweight Boxers in the World

A Queensland southpaw on the international stage

Demsey McKean is an Australian heavyweight whose professional career has taken him from domestic shows in Queensland to major bills in Britain, the United States and Saudi Arabia. Born on 25 September 1990, the tall southpaw built his reputation by combining physical size with a patient approach rather than relying solely on early knockouts. His career includes regional championships, an extended unbeaten run and two demanding assignments against heavyweights moving toward the top of the division.

McKean began boxing professionally in 2014. The early phase of his career gave him time to learn the longer format and establish himself against the opposition available on the Australian circuit. As the standard of his opponents increased, his ability to maintain a working pace across several rounds became as important as his height and southpaw stance. Regional titles helped bring those performances to a wider audience, but they should be understood as steps toward international competition rather than world championships.

The Rice win and a move beyond Australia

A significant breakthrough came against Jonathan Rice on 7 March 2020 on the Gold Coast. McKean stopped the American in the tenth round, securing a late finish after a competitive contest. The result was useful evidence that he could sustain an effort against an experienced heavyweight, with the decisive work arriving near the end of the scheduled distance. HB.com's McKean–Rice fight page preserves the historical result.

In November 2021, McKean signed with Matchroom and expanded his career beyond the Australian circuit. Training in Essex and sparring with established heavyweights exposed him to a different level of preparation. His time around Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte was part of that development, although sparring experience is distinct from a professional result. Further victories kept his unbeaten run intact before the opportunity to face an established international contender.

Hrgovic and Itauma: two contrasting setbacks

McKean met Filip Hrgovic at London's O2 Arena on 12 August 2023. He reached the final round before being stopped, suffering his first professional defeat. That contest demanded a sustained response to a bigger international test and ended his unbeaten record without erasing the domestic and regional work that had brought him there.

The next major setback came against Moses Itauma in Riyadh on 21 December 2024. Itauma won by a first-round stoppage. The two defeats were very different: one came after nearly twelve rounds, the other before McKean could establish himself in the contest. Together they provide a clearer account of his progress than the undefeated prospect descriptions used earlier in his career.

Rebuilding through the Talivaa victory

McKean returned to winning form against Petero Qica in July 2025 and followed that with a seventh-round TKO over Toese Vousiutu in Brisbane on 16 January 2026. On 24 June 2026, he stopped Liam Talivaa in the fourth round at Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, winning the IBF Pan Pacific heavyweight title. The promoter's completed event results confirm that victory and a professional record of 25 wins and two defeats; the reconciled stoppage total is 17.

Those results describe an active rebuilding phase after the Hrgovic and Itauma losses. They do not establish a current world ranking or an automatic route to a world title. His next fight remains TBA until an official announcement supplies an opponent and date.

Historical fight footage

Historical footage: McKean vs Jonathan Rice, March 2020.

Archived career highlights, rather than a current record summary.