“Fight Night Fiasco: Nacho Novo Bout Scrapped, Refunds Promised”
A highly anticipated boxing event featuring Rangers legend Nacho Novo and TikTok influencer Caz Milligan has been abruptly canceled, just over a month after its announcement.
Tickets for the match, priced between £47.10 and £228.70, were sold with Milligan promising his 117,000 followers that he would knock out his idol Novo in the ring.
On Monday (2 July), Milligan announced on Instagram that the event scheduled for 10 August would not proceed, citing that he “went in too big too early.”
“I’ll take accountability for that,” Milligan told his followers. “I had a successful first event in a hotel and I got the contacts to the Hydro and I got the contacts with Novo and I just got too excited and we just went too big too early.”
The influencer from Fife, who previously faced Alan ‘The Property Boss’ Shields at a charity event in March, also mentioned Novo’s health concerns as a significant factor in the cancellation.
“I’m taking everything on the chin. It’s upsetting, it’s emotional, it’s things I’ve not dealt with before,” Milligan continued.
He elaborated on Novo’s health conditions, stating, “Even though the doctors have cleared him and he’s fit to fight, I never knew about his heart conditions or his heart attack before signing the contracts. I should have done my research before proceeding with Nacho Novo. I got too excited, I saw all these opportunities and everything coming at me and I went for it.”
“With everyone online discussing his heart conditions, it planted a seed in the back of my mind—what if I hit him too hard or something bad could happen.”
“That means I won’t be entering this fight at my fullest potential because I’ll be cautious of potential negative outcomes,” he added.
Milligan confirmed that refunds would be issued to all ticket holders, acknowledging that the cancellation has resulted in significant financial loss amounting to “tens of thousands of pounds.”
He also pledged to organize another event later in the year, albeit with a different opponent and in a smaller venue.
“For those who purchased tickets, Ticketmaster will contact you for refunds,” he added. “This setback has cost me a substantial amount of money.”
Novo, who achieved success with Rangers by winning six trophies in six seasons between 2004 and 2010, has not yet commented on the cancelled bout.
The 45-year-old forward, known for scoring the decisive goal in the 2009 Scottish Cup final against Falkirk, amassed a total of 47 goals in 179 league appearances for the club. He was also part of the team that reached the 2008 UEFA Cup final, with Novo notably scoring a late equalizer against Panathinaikos in the round of 32.