Jake Donovan brings word that the IBF has ordered no. 2 middleweight contender Etinosa Oliha to meet no. 4 Aaron McKenna for the vacant title formerly held by Janibek Alimkhanuly.
If the numbers seem odd, two things:
- The IBF reserves their top spot for the mandatory challenger, keeping it vacant if one hasn’t been named.
- No. 3 Shakiel Thompson got torn up by Brad Pauls on last Saturday’s Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin show.
Oliha (22-0, 10 KO) has spent the last several years chewing up mid-level competition in Germany. He’d intended to take on Austin “Ammo” Williams in an eliminator last July, but failed his pre-fight medical exam due to an eye issue, leaving him to rehab with a third-round stoppage of Ivan Njegac the following September. McKenna (20-0, 10 KO) likewise had a one-fight 2025, notching a career-best win with a mugging of Liam Smith last April.
With Alimkhanuly sidelined and Carlos Adames allegedly heading to 168, the division is wide open for someone new to take the reins. We’ll see which of these two can make a successful leap from the Euro scene to the world stage.
