Aaron McKenna wins IBF middleweight title at Dublin's 3Arena
Aaron McKenna defeated Etinosa Oliha to claim the IBF world middleweight title at the 3Arena in Dublin on 2026-08-09, headlining Zuffa Boxing 10. The Monaghan fighter extended his professional record to 21-0 with a unanimous decision following a scheduled 12-round contest.
McKenna handed the previously unbeaten Oliha his first professional loss as the judges scored the bout 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112. Oliha, described in the report as Italian, now has a record of 22-1 after the defeat. The fight was McKenna’s first professional outing on Irish soil after nine years as a professional without fighting in Ireland.
After the victory McKenna spoke to Sky Sports, reflecting on a long-held ambition: "A new world champion. I said it for years," he said. "Since I was six years old, I thought about this moment my whole life, so for it to finally happen at 27, it goes to show everyone, don't give up, always stay true to yourself, and you can do anything."
McKenna conceded that Oliha provided a tougher test than anticipated, saying the Italian was strong and that he had made the contest harder than it should have been. He confirmed he had achieved the objective of winning the world title in front of the Dublin crowd and indicated he was open to future challenges.
Oliha began the fight aggressively, applying pressure in the opening rounds and enjoying particular success in the second while McKenna worked to establish his jab from the back foot. Known as "The Silencer," McKenna gradually found his range, repeatedly landing his jab and uppercut and using movement to avoid Oliha’s heavier shots. As the fight progressed McKenna forced Oliha onto the ropes at times and landed combinations to the head and body.
Oliha continued to press but McKenna’s defence and cleaner punching largely blunted the Italian’s advances. A clash of heads in the 11th left McKenna bleeding, yet he remained composed and landed several clean shots in response. In the final round Oliha pushed for a stoppage but McKenna frustrated him with his jab until the bell, prompting celebrations from the Dublin crowd.
The event produced wins across the Irish card. In the co-main Callum Walsh defeated former European champion Tyler Denny by decision to extend his unbeaten record to 17-0, and the report said native fighters completed a clean sweep of victories in the Irish capital. Joe Ward returned from a two-year absence to beat previously unbeaten Artjom Kasparian by decision; Stevie "The Hitman" McKenna, Aaron’s brother, scored a first-round knockout of Owen O'Neill just over a minute into their middleweight contest; Derry’s Connor Coyle improved to 23-0 with a unanimous decision over Mark Beuke; and Patrick O'Connor stopped Juan Manuel Moriel after the opening round.
McKenna signalled his immediate aims in the ring, declaring: "Oliha was definitely strong. I made it harder than it should have been, but I got the job done. "It doesn't matter [who's next], anyone. I'm easy to find now that I have a belt. I want to collect every belt in boxing. I'm the best middleweight in the world, and super-middleweight; I don't mind jumping up either."