IT’S OFFICIAL – Aaron McKenna Fights for a World Title in Dublin
Aaron McKenna has been handed the most sensational of homecomings.
The Monaghan native’s first fight in Ireland will be a world title fight.
‘The Silencer’ will challenge for the vacant IBF middleweight title in the 3Arena on August 8.
The younger of two entertaining boxing brothers was ordered by the IBF to fight for the title against Oliha Etinosa after Janibek Alimkhanuly was stripped following a drug test failure.
The teams were given 30 days to agree on terms before purse bids would be called. Zuffa Boxing and Dana White have come up with a deal that both find appealing and will take the fight to Dublin.
McKenna fights alongside Callum Walsh by the Dublin Docklands. It will be the Smithborough native’s first fight on home soil.
The former WBC Youth World champion, who holds a win over former world champion Liam Smith, has traded leather in Britain, America, and even Japan, but never in Ireland as a professional.
If he is to join Lewis Crocker and Anthony Cacace as a reigning Irish male world champion, McKenna will have to beat Etinosa. The 27-year-old Italian is undefeated but doesn’t have a record that will scare the always confident Monaghan man.
Dublin will now host three major shows in the space of four weeks. Pierce O’Leary gets the ball rolling on August 1 in the 3Arena before Walsh and McKenna co-feature at the same venue a week later while Katie Taylor gets her farewell on the first day of the following month.
