Josh Kelly Defends IBF Super-Welterweight Belt vs Unbeaten Agyarko

Josh Kelly puts his IBF super-welterweight title on the line tonight in Jeddah against unbeaten Caoimhin Agyarko, the first defence of a belt he only claimed earlier this year. Kelly, now 18-1-1 with 9 knockouts, took the strap off Bakhram Murtazaliev by majority decision — a result that flipped a career many had written off into a genuine world-championship run.

Agyarko arrives with a spotless 18-0 ledger and, for the first time, a title in front of him. He's climbed the rankings the slow way, and now he gets Kelly on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's heavyweight return against Kristian Prenga. Joshua himself is 29-4 (26 KO) coming off a sixth-round stoppage of Jake Paul, so the building will be loud long before the main event.

The Styles Problem

This one reads like a proper chess match. Kelly's game is movement, timing and counters — the sort of boxer who makes pressure fighters look bad when he's on. Agyarko's answer is the opposite: forward, physical, betting his unbeaten record means he can walk Kelly down and take the rounds away.

The knockout numbers tell you something too. Kelly has finished just 9 of his 18 wins, so he's a decision merchant more than a puncher, which is exactly what you'd expect from a boxer who won a world title on the cards. If Agyarko wants the belt, he may have to physically wear Kelly out rather than wait for a single big shot.

What's Waiting Downstairs

The prize here isn't just the IBF strap — it's position. Both camps are eyeing unification, with Jaron Ennis and Sebastian Fundora named as the marquee targets. Ennis alone is a frightening proposition: the WBA and WBO champion is 36-0 with 32 KOs and just stopped Xander Zayas in the seventh.

For Kelly, a win keeps the redemption story rolling and keeps him in the conversation with the division's biggest names. For Agyarko, it's the whole point of an unbeaten career — one night to turn 18-0 into world champion. Live scoring follows below.