The 36-year-old has not fought since dropping a unanimous decision to Conor Benn in their November rematch, a defeat Eubank later attributed in part to the difficult weight cut. Now, Nigerian promoter Dr. Ezekiel Adamu says discussions are progressing toward staging Eubank’s comeback in Lagos before the end of the year.
“I now believe the next time we’ll be seeing Chris Eubank in the ring should be in Nigeria at some point this year, and it will be a very huge matchup,” Adamu told The Ring.
Adamu went even further, comparing his vision for the event to the historic 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
“We haven’t had a fight as big as this since Muhammad Ali against George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle,” Adamu said. “It will be happening in December because December is like our summer in Nigeria. We are looking at a legacy opponent, and Chris loves legacy.”
The project remains in the planning stage. No opponent has been announced, no contract has been signed, and Adamu said discussions with both DAZN and Netflix are still ongoing regarding broadcast rights.
Eubank Jr. (35-4, 25 KOs) turns 37 in September after spending virtually his entire career as an underachieving contender whose resume has been built largely against domestic, European and carefully selected opposition. Despite remaining a recognizable name in British boxing for more than a decade, he never captured one of the four major world titles at middleweight or super middleweight and fell short in several of the biggest opportunities of his career.
Financially, a bout in Nigeria would also represent a different stage of Eubank’s career. The reported $10 million purses he received for each of his two fights with Benn are unlikely to be matched, making the proposed event more about extending his career and adding another notable location to his résumé than securing another blockbuster payday.
Adamu said he expects negotiations to be completed within the next two weeks, but until agreements are finalized, the proposed December event remains an ambitious plan rather than a confirmed fight.
