Keyshawn Davis’ Welterweight Move

After a tough 2025, Keyshawn Davis has announced he will skip the 140-pound division to make his debut at 147-pound welterweight in 2026. 

After capturing the WBO lightweight title in February, Davis was stripped of the belt just months later when he missed weight by more than four pounds for a scheduled defense in June against Edwin De Los Santos. The situation only worsened when Davis and his brothers were involved in a backstage altercation following a loss for his brother, Kelvin.

Davis has spent the latter half of 2025 rebuilding from the ground up. This included a high-profile split from longtime trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre. By moving to 147, he is betting that his power and physicality will translate better against larger opponents, finally removing the “weight-draining” struggle that has plagued his recent camps.

“I changed my entire team. Everybody that I used to work with, I don’t work with anymore. Everything is different. Everybody got deleted. It’s a whole new team, whole new system,” Davis

“To protect the kid’s integrity and his boxing career, I have no comment on the splitting of the team. I wish him nothing but the best,” McIntyre said

While no official date is set, the boxing world is wondering who he will face. He has traded heated words on social media with Richardson Hitchins, a rivalry that dates back to their amateur days and saw a public face-off at Madison Square Garden this month. However, Hitchins is currently the IBF champ at 140. Other high-profile targets could include Conor Benn or even Devin Haney, who recently became a three-division champion by winning the WBO welterweight title by defeating Brian Norman Jr. 

“For February 2026, we have something planned, that’s for sure. It will be a fight outside the country. In fact, I am considering moving to a different weight class. I’m thinking about 147 pounds [welterweight],” Keyshawn said