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Efe Ajagba faces Charles Martin in Sunday’s key heavyweight test

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Image: Zuffa Boxing 3: Ajagba Meets Martin in Crucial Heavyweight Test Sunday

Ajagba, 20-1-1 with 14 knockouts, rebuilt his record with rounds and discipline. Five straight wins before Bakole’s majority draw, fights in which he started with a jab and set the pace from the opening bell. He fights high behind a powerful, energetic jab, keeps his chin tucked and plants his feet on a straight right. When he maintains his structure and works behind the jab, he controls the range and causes heavyweights to reach and miss.

He cannot lose concentration for one round.

In the match against Bakole, he had moments where the push was tender and the exchanges were tumultuous. Judges at this weight are looking for effective aggression, a spotless strike, and someone who presses the action. If Ajagba concedes the rounds, lapping without scoring points, he will once again be at the mercy of three cards.

Martin, with a record of 30-4-1 and 27 knockouts, is an old-school southpaw puncher. Wide stance. Straight left, in the middle. He works his body when he puts his feet down and his hands will drop if you stand in front of him. He almost folded Jared Anderson with 2023 remaining. The power is still there.

The question is about the legs.

Fifteen months off at the age of 39 comes after the sixth round. The wind is shortening. The legs stop moving. The veteran starts kicking shots instead of stepping in behind them. If Martin can’t cut across the ring, get his lead foot outside and purposely close the gap, he will spend long periods of time trying to track Ajagba behind the jab.

The tactics are clear.

Ajagba needs to start attacking and stay fit. Double it and then make a straight line right behind it. Keep Martin spinning clockwise away from your left hand. When he finishes his combination, he must reset his feet and keep his right glove in place. Martin will be hunting this counter all night long.

If Ajagba loads up and squares up, a straight left hook from Martin and a low right hook from Martin on the pivot await. Southpaws live off this mistake. One spotless shot at this weight changes everything.

This fight is all about discipline and conditioning. At the age of 31, Ajagba should be in better shape and have a more stable pace. Martin will try to involve him in exchanges and make it physically possible.

If Ajagba controls the range with his jab and avoids trading, he wins the rounds cleanly and retreats behind schedule. If he stands up and makes the deal, he will give the experienced boxer exactly the fight he wants.

Sunday will show whether Ajagba is a high heavyweight with a good jab or a contender ready to fight for the belt.

Photo: Zuffa Boxing 3: Ajagba meets Martin in Sunday's key heavyweight test
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 14: Efe Ajagba poses on the scales during his Zuffa Boxing 03 fight at Meta APEX on February 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)
Photo: Zuffa Boxing 3: Ajagba meets Martin in Sunday's key heavyweight test
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 14: Efe Ajagba and Charles Martin pose after the weigh-in for their Zuffa Boxing 03 fight at Meta APEX on February 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)
Photo: Zuffa Boxing 3: Ajagba meets Martin in Sunday's key heavyweight test
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 14: Efe Ajagba and Charles Martin pose after the weigh-in for their Zuffa Boxing 03 fight at Meta APEX on February 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)
Photo: Zuffa Boxing 3: Ajagba meets Martin in Sunday's key heavyweight test
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 14: Efe Ajagba and Charles Martin pose after the weigh-in for their Zuffa Boxing 03 fight at Meta APEX on February 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing)

Zuffa Boxing 3: Ajagba vs. Martin – Sunday, February 15, 2026

  • Location: Meta Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Organizer: Dana White – Zuffa Boxing
  • Media: Exclusively on Paramount+
  • Time: Main card starts at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT

Efe Ajagba vs. Charles Martin card

Efe Ajagba vs. Charles Martin
Umar Dzambekov vs. Ahmed El Biali, featherlight heavyweight fight
Abel Mejia vs. Jaybrio Pe Benito, featherlight
Leo Ruiz vs. Casey Streeter, center

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Boxing

Zuffa Boxing Dublin card confirmed for August 8 at 3Arena

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Zuffa Boxing has announced that its first event in Ireland, branded Zuffa Boxing 10, will take place on Saturday, August 8 at the 3Arena in Dublin. Organizers of the promotion, headed by Dana White, said details about the main event, joint performance and ticket sales will be announced soon.

According to the promotion, the card will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and streamed on Paramount+ in the US and Canada. Its broadcasts in the UK and Ireland are covered by a long-term contract with Sky Sports announced in March.

The expected headliner of the Cork middleweight gala will be Callum Walsh (16-0, 11 KO). according to 42 and Irish boxing, although Zuffa has not confirmed this card. Walsh won Zuffa Boxing’s debut event on January 23 in Las Vegas with a unanimous decision over Carlos Ocampo and has not fought since. The Cobh native, trained by Freddie Roach, fought mainly in the United States, but once boxed in Dublin, headlining the 3Arena gala after his victory over Przemysław Runowski.

The 42 reports that Monaghan’s Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KO) is set to be the main support for an IBF middleweight world title fight against Italian Etinosa Oliha (22-0, 10 KO). Both pairs are expected to fight for the vacant belt that became available after Janibek Alimkhanuly was stripped of his belt following a failed anti-doping test. McKenna is third in the IBF rankings and Oliha is second.

Dublin will be Zuffa Boxing’s second card outside the United States. The first event, Zuffa Boxing 07, will take place this Saturday at the Bournemouth International Center in England, where former world cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith will face Ryan Rozicki in a 10-round cruiserweight main event.

The August 8 date means the Dublin gala will take place a week after Queensberry Promotions’ show at the same venue, headlined by Pierce O’Leary against Mark Chamberlain, with Tyson Fury scheduled to appear.

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Frank Warren says Tyson Fury will do what Daniel Dubois did to Joshua

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Image: Frank Warren Says Tyson Fury Will Do What Daniel Dubois Did To Joshua

Frank Warren believes Tyson Fury will not only beat Anthony Joshua when the long-awaited heavyweight clash finally happens, but also stop him.

The All-British clash is scheduled for November, after a delay from its earlier summer date. Warren confirmed that Fury signed a contract for the fight in January, and both men are expected to undergo interim fights before the fight becomes official.


When asked how he sees the fight developing, Warren made it clear he expected Fury to win and pointed to Joshua’s knockout loss to Daniel Dubois as a major factor.

“I think Tyson will win,” Warren told Secondsout, predicting a Tyson Fury knockout over Joshua.

“I think Tyson will stop him.

“Did you see him fight Daniel Dubois? That gives me that confidence. I was sure Daniel Dubois would do it and he did it, and I’m sure Tyson will do the same in brief order, no matter what catches him.”

Earlier in the interview, Warren also suggested that Joshua was still feeling the effects of the Dubois defeat.

“He has the specter and cloud of what happened when he fought Daniel Dubois hanging over him. So, you know, he’s vulnerable if he gets caught now,” Warren said.

Joshua is scheduled to return on July 25 against Kristian Pregna, while Fury is scheduled to fight his own warm-up fight before November. Warren said the location for the proposed blockbuster has yet to be determined, though he confirmed the fight remains signed and will likely take place later this year, provided both heavyweights win their fights.

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Categories Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury

Last update: 2026/06/04 at 23:14

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World champion will be stripped of his title if he refuses to fight David Benavidez next: ‘That’s it’

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World champion to be stripped of title if he refuses to face David Benavidez next: “That’s it”

David Benavidez won the WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles with his last fight, and the “Mexican Monster” may add to his collection in the future after one of the world champions was ordered to fight him under the threat of being stripped of his belt.

Last month I moved up from light heavyweight and dethroned Gilberto Ramirez in sensational styleBenavidez now holds the WBA (regular) and WBC featherlight heavyweight world titles, as well as his recently won unified cruiserweight crown.

As a result, the 29-year-old must decide whether he should return to the featherlight heavyweight scene or stay in the cruiserweight division, where he put in arguably the best performance of his career last time out after tuning out his fight with Jai Opetaia.

However, Benavidez was also named the WBC cruiserweight mandatory challenger and was ordered to fight WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian, another who has been linked to a fight with Opetaia.

If Mikaelian refuses to defend the title against Benavidez, the WBC president announced in an interview for the WBC magazine that he would strip the Armenian of the belt. Boxing Scene.

“The WBC order is Mikaelian against Benavidez. That’s all. If he fights again, he will waive his obligations to the WBC.”

“[There is no deadline] at this time. I will be talking to different managers. This is the highest priority. I look forward to making sure that happens.”

If Mikaeilian decides to continue the fight with Opetaia and thus lose the world title, it can be expected that Polish-born interim champion Michał Cieślak will benefit. Either he will be elevated to full world champion and ordered to make his first defense against Benavidez, or he will be included in a vacant belt fight against the three-division world champion.

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