Kelly’s next opponent being rumoured.
From the moment he turned professional, Josh Kelly was treated like a future superstar. He would make his debut in the paid ranks in 2017 against the 4-1 Jay Byrne, and from there, he would continue to only fight opponents with winning records.
This way of moving him was due to his appearance in the 2016 Summer Olympics, and it went very smoothly at first. Kelly continued to beat foes with far more professional experience, picking up the Commonwealth welterweight title along the way.
However, he would then suffer a blip in a draw against Ray Robinson (not the immortal boxing legend), and two fights later, he was battered into a stoppage defeat by European champion David Avanesyan.
After moving up to super-welterweight, Kelly began to rebuild with a series of wins on Channel 5, the most important of which was a victory over the unbeaten British champion Troy Williamson.
Two more wins put Kelly in position for a slot on the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois undercard. Originally scheduled to face Liam Smith, Kelly would instead beat the undefeated late replacement Ishmael Davis.
One more win would follow before Kelly got the opportunity to face Bakhram Murtazaliev, the feared and undefeated IBF world champion.
Kelly would score an upset decision over the Russian to become a titleholder at home, and since then, his next opponent has been a subject of interest.
Originally, his mandatory was to be decided between Brandon Adams and Caoimhin Agyarko, but when the fight was pulled due to Adams suffering a medical emergency, things seemed unclear.
Agyarko then didn’t respond to an order from the IBF to face Murtazaliev, so it was decided that the latter would face Adams instead.
Since then, news as to what Agyarko would do next was uncertain. However, recent rumours may give us the answer.
It is being stated by certain sources that a fight between Josh Kelly (18-1-1, 9 KOs) and Caoimhin Agyarko (18-0, 7 KOs) is set to be made for the North East of England in July or August.
The fight would be Kelly’s first defence of his IBF title, and he would be fighting the #4-ranked contender.
🥊🇬🇧 KELLY 🆚 AGYARKO ON
✅Josh Kelly will defend his IBF Lght-Middleweight world title against Caoimhin Agyarko in the North East in late July/ early August.
Expect official announcement to follow very soon pic.twitter.com/p34eLBXeIJ
— BOXING UK (@Boxing_UK_) May 3, 2026
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