Zuffa Boxing expected to stage middleweight title fight with Sky Sports

Derren Austin
27 May 2026

Zuffa to stage title fight alongside Sky Sports.

When Janibek Alimkhanuly failed a drug test ahead of his fight with Erislandy Lara in December, he didn’t just scupper the opportunity to be a three-belt champion, but to keep being able to call himself a unified titleholder at all.

For the Kazakhstani was swiftly stripped of his IBF middleweight title and slapped with a one-year ban from competing professionally.

Still controversially being allowed to keep his WBO belt, Janibek now only has one trinket to his name. And for the man who many regard as the best middleweight in the world, that may not seem like enough.

Nonetheless, the championship will now be up for grabs between two undefeated contenders, and they are expected to duel in the co-main event to a Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing card.

The two soon-to-be title challengers are Ireland’s Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) and Italy’s Etinosa Oliha (22-0, 10 KOs), two 6’1″ 160-pounders who have yet to taste defeat.

Last year, McKenna defeated Liam Smith on the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn 1 undercard, and he hasn’t fought since despite it being a serious boost to his profile.

Oliha, meanwhile, was originally meant to fight Shakiel Thompson for the IBF title, but Thompson ultimately fell at the last hurdle when he was stopped by Brad Pauls in March.

McKenna vs. Oliha is thought to be sharing a bill with a headline act that will feature Callum Walsh, and it will be taking place in Dublin, Ireland.

The expected date of the 8th of August means that the show will likely clash with the slated return of Moses Itauma, who is thought to be facing the biggest step-up of his career on that same day in Manchester.


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