McKenna and Oliha to contest vacant IBF middleweight title at Zuffa Boxing 10 in Dublin

Aaron McKenna and Etinosa Oliha will meet for the vacant IBF middleweight title at Zuffa Boxing 10 at the 3Arena in Dublin on Saturday, August 8, 2026, in what the promotion billed as the first middleweight world title fight held on Irish soil in more than three decades. The headline bout closes a card staged in Dublin and carries the vacant belt as its prize.

McKenna enters the 12-round contest unbeaten at 20-0 with 10 KOs and brings into the fight more than 150 amateur wins and eight Irish national titles; the match also represents his long-awaited professional debut on home soil following a 469-day layoff since his career-best win over former 154-pound titleholder Liam Smith. Oliha comes in undefeated at 22-0 with 10 KOs. The IBF belt has been vacant since March, when the organization stripped Janibek Alimkhanuly following a positive doping test.

The card’s co-main event pairs Callum Walsh (16-0) with Tyler Denny (21-4-3) at middleweight, while another featured fight matches light heavyweight Joe Ward (12-1) against unbeaten Artjom Kasparian (14-0). These bouts are promoted as part of the headline undercard for Zuffa Boxing 10.

The card includes a heavy Irish presence beyond the main event, with Derry’s Connor Coyle (22-0) and Cork southpaw Stevie McKenna (16-1) listed on the fight bill. Promotional material shared by the event referenced the local representation and build-up to the event under the banner The road to #ZuffaBoxing10.

Promotional posts related to the event included the line “I’m going to give it my all” and the question “Will Etinosa Oliha leave as the NEW World Champion?”, reflecting the social-media lead-up to the August 8 card. The promotion circulated those messages alongside imagery and fight-week content.

For event updates, Khel Now directs readers to its Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channels and to download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App; the outlet also invites followers to join its Whatsapp & Telegram communities. The article was prepared with contributions from Blesson Daniel, listed as a sub-editor.

Zuffa Boxing 10 is scheduled for Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the 3Arena in Dublin and will stream live and exclusively on Paramount+ beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET; UK and Ireland viewers can watch on Sky Sports Action from 7:00 p.m. BST with coverage continuing on Sky Sports Main Event from 8:00 p.m. BST, and international viewers have been advised to check local listings for corresponding start times.