Etinosa Oliha believes Aaron McKenna will not present anything he has not already seen as the Italian contender prepares to challenge the Irish favorite for the vacant IBF middleweight title on August 8 at Dublin’s 3Arena.
McKenna will have a partisan crowd behind him as he attempts to become Ireland’s newest world champion. Oliha dismissed the idea that the setting or his opponent will change the result.
“I don’t think he can match that work rate, but like I said, I’m an all rounder boxer, so anything he brings is not going to be anything new to me,” Oliha told Sky Sports. “I will win this fight, and I will hurt him.”
The Dublin crowd is expected to be firmly behind McKenna, but Oliha says the atmosphere will not distract him once the fight begins.
“Well, that would be crazy if I could silence the stadium in his city, but it’s boxing, so you have to be prepared for it,” Oliha said. “It’s not gonna bother me because in the ring it’s gonna be just me and him.”
The unbeaten fighters will compete for the vacant IBF middleweight title, with the winner moving into position for lucrative fights against the division’s other champions.
Oliha already has his sights set beyond Saturday night. The 27-year-old said winning the IBF championship would be the first step toward unifying the middleweight division while returning Italy to boxing’s championship picture.
“Yes, of course, it’s always been an ambition,” Oliha said. “I want to unify all the titles, that would be one of my greatest dreams. This would mean a lot for Italian boxing. Finally Italy’s gonna be back on the radar of world champions once more.”
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Last Updated on 2026/08/04 at 12:52 PM
