Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba is one fight away from a career-defining shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed crown, but Frank Sanchez stands firmly in his path.
The International Boxing Federation has ordered a final eliminator between the two rivals, with the winner becoming Usyk’s next mandatory challenger.
The rematch carries heavy stakes for Ajagba (20-1-1, 14 KOs), who has long chased a world title opportunity.
Ranked third by the IBF, he steps into the bout still riding the controversy of his majority draw with Martin Bakole in May, a result that could have derailed his momentum.
Instead, Filip Hrgovic’s pursuit of other fights has left the door wide open for the Nigerian to finally position himself for the sport’s biggest stage.
Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs), the Cuban technician who handed Ajagba his only professional loss in 2021, knows this is a pivotal moment in his own career.
Since suffering a knockout defeat to Agit Kabayel in a WBC eliminator, his progress has stalled, and this bout represents both redemption and survival at the elite level.
The IBF has scheduled a purse bid for August 5 after negotiations failed, meaning the fight will go ahead with a clear mandate: win, and the road leads to Usyk; lose, and risk slipping from the title picture.
With Usyk currently preparing to unify with WBO interim champion Joseph Parker, the eventual mandatory challenger will likely have to wait, but for Ajagba, this is the gateway to the opportunity he has been chasing since his 2016 Olympic days.
