IBF light-middleweight champion Josh Kelly is promising a “spiteful” performance against undefeated challenger Caoimhín Agyarko. The two fighters meet this Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia. The championship bout anchors the DAZN pay-per-view card directly beneath Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight return against Kristian Prenga.
What We Know
- Kelly (18-1-1, 9 KOs) secured the IBF title in January 2026 following a grueling majority decision over Bakhram Murtazaliev.
- Agyarko (18-0, 7 KOs) unexpectedly landed this voluntary shot after a disastrous fight cancellation earlier this spring.
- The champion predicts the undefeated Belfast native’s confidence will instantly crumble once the first punches land in the ring.
Kelly expects a short, violent night. He predicts the challenger will rapidly change his tune under the stadium lights. Kelly enters the ring battle-tested, having overcome a ninth-round knockdown during his January victory in Newcastle to capture the belt.
For Agyarko, the title shot salvages a completely derailed calendar year. His scheduled April 2026 final eliminator against Brandon Adams collapsed at the last minute when Adams suffered a medical emergency in his hotel room just prior to the weigh-in. Rather than forcing Agyarko into another final eliminator against Murtazaliev, Kelly’s team bypassed the delay. They opted for a direct voluntary defense, a structural move confirmed by a DAZN backstage report detailing Adams’ sudden withdrawal.
The challenger openly admits the cancellation left him “heartbroken” after he spent thousands of pounds funding a 14-week training camp away from his family. Now, he calls this sudden championship opportunity a massive “silver lining” to offset the financial and emotional toll of his spring, locking in an undercard placement in the highly lucrative Saudi market.
Unification Stakes Surround Jeddah Clash
Kelly is openly looking past Saturday’s challenger toward a division-defining fight. He confirmed he is “down to fight” current WBO and WBA 154-pound champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis if he successfully defends his IBF belt this weekend, according to Ring Magazine.
A victory over Agyarko clears the administrative hurdles for a massive undisputed campaign. If Agyarko pulls off the upset, he instantly reshapes the entire 154-pound division and derails Kelly’s timeline for an Ennis showdown.