Zuffa Boxing 10 begin time — Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa Oliha: Combat card, predictions for occasion in Eire

The IBF middleweight championship will probably be on the road at Zuffa Boxing 10. Aaron McKenna will conflict with Etinosa Oliha for the vacant title in Dublin on Saturday.

McKenna (20-0, 10 KO) will probably be combating in entrance of what’s positive to be a wild crowd of his Irish countrymen as he appears to be like to seize a world championship for the primary time in his profession.

Over the previous few years, McKenna has stepped up his degree of competitors in preparation for a possibility like he could have in opposition to Oliha. In 2023, he picked up a stable win over Uisma Lima, handing Lima the primary lack of his profession. Three fights later, McKenna scored the largest win of his profession, choosing up a unanimous resolution win over former world champion Liam Smith.

The win over Smith wasn’t solely good for Smith’s resume; it was a win on a giant stage because it came about on the undercard of the primary combat between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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In Oliha (22-0, 10 KO), McKenna faces a fellow undefeated fighter who has been steadily plying his commerce searching for a giant combat.

Oliha fought the primary 16 fights of his profession in Italy earlier than his six most up-to-date fights had been all held in Germany. None of his opposition have been of the world-class or family title selection, however Oliha has managed to constantly discover methods to win and now has an opportunity to grow to be a world champion.

The co-featured bout will see one other large title middleweight return to his residence nation, with Zuffa Boxing centerpiece Callum Walsh (16-0, 11 KO) taking up Tyler Denny (21-4-3, 1 KO).

Walsh’s profession has been on a gradual upward trajectory and has been, largely, backed by Zuffa’s Dana White. Walsh was Zuffa Boxing’s first large signing and he headlined Zuffa Boxing 01, taking a transparent resolution over Carlos Ocampo.

“I used to be the primary ever Zuffa essential occasion after which again right here now, six months later, seven months later, no matter it’s,” Walsh said. “For me, ideally, I might have been again a bit sooner, however we’re again in Eire and that is the primary factor. The final time was unbelievable. The group, all the pieces was unbelievable final time, so I can solely think about how that is going to be.”

Denny is a transparent step down from the likes of Ocampo and Fernando Vargas for Walsh. Denny has solely scored one knockout in his 28 profession fights.

Denny has additionally misplaced bouts to Hamzah Sheeraz and George Liddard, with the loss to Liddard coming in his most up-to-date journey to the ring.

Zuffa Boxing 10 combat card, odds

• Aaron McKenna -410 vs. Etinosa Oliha +320, vacant IBF middleweight title
• Callum Walsh -650 vs. Tyler Denny +460, middleweights
• Joseph Ward vs. Artjom Kasparian, gentle heavyweights
• Connor Coyle vs. Mark Beuke, middleweights
• Sam Hickey vs. Brad Axe, middleweights
• Stephen McKenna vs. Owen O’Neill, middleweights
• Louis Greene vs. Daniel Buciuc, middleweights
• Patrick O’Connor vs. Juan Manuel Moriel, cruiserweights

The place to look at Zuffa Boxing 10

Date: Aug. 8 | Location: 3Arena — Dublin
Prelims start at midday ET
Essential card begins at 2 p.m. ET
Watch stay: Paramount+ (subscribe now for as little as $8.99 monthly)

Prediction

McKenna has confirmed he can combat on a giant stage and has taken on a barely higher degree of opposition, although Oliha has picked up some stable wins in his profession. This combat figures to go the 12-round distance as neither man has proven to have a weak chin, nor have both displayed large pop to constantly rating stoppages.

With the backing of the hometown crowd, the marginally higher expertise and barely higher expertise, McKenna ought to be capable to edge out a detailed, however not overly shut, resolution win. Decide: Aaron McKenna by way of UD