Josh Kelly survives bloodied battle to keep IBF light‑middleweight crown

Josh Kelly retained his IBF light-middleweight world title after a points win over Ireland’s Caoimhin Agyarko. The Briton was visibly bloodied during the contest and had to summon substantial resolve to secure the victory.

The fight saw Kelly defending the IBF light-middleweight world championship against Agyarko, who travelled from Ireland to challenge for the belt. Kelly entered as the reigning champion and emerged with the title intact following the judges’ decision. Both fighters exchanged significant moments throughout the contest, with Kelly enduring and ultimately taking the result on points.

Agyarko mounted a determined challenge, pressing the action at times and testing Kelly’s composure. Kelly absorbed that pressure and answered in key phases of the fight, while also showing signs of having sustained damage that left him bloodied. The accumulation of those exchanges left the outcome to the scorecards rather than a stoppage.

The points win confirmed Kelly’s hold on the IBF light-middleweight world title, adding another defence to his reign. Agyarko’s efforts were not enough to wrest the belt away, but his performance kept the contest competitive until the final bell. The decision reflected a closely fought bout decided by judges rather than a definitive finish in the ring.

From a championship perspective, Kelly’s ability to keep the title despite appearing bloodied underscored his resilience in the contest. Agyarko demonstrated he can trouble established titleholders, though on this occasion the judges ruled in favour of the British champion. The result will stand on both fighters’ records as a points decision.

Kelly leaves the ring still recognised as the IBF light-middleweight world champion following the points victory over Caoimhin Agyarko. The outcome maintains Kelly’s status at the top of the division while Agyarko returns to build on the experience of challenging for the title.