Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Josh Kelly will clash in a 154-pound unification bout on Saturday, February 27 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia (DAZN/TNT Sports), Matchroom Boxing announced on Wednesday.
Ennis (36-0 32 KOs) became a two-time, two-weight unified world champion in June with a sensational stoppage win over Xander Zayas at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, owning the WBO and WBA straps by ending the battle in the seventh round.
Ennis moved up to 154 pounds in October 2025 after becoming unified champion at 147 pounds with another dominant win over an undefeated champion, adding Eimantas Stanionis’ WBA title to his IBF strap by forcing the Lithuanian to retire after six brutal rounds in April in Atlantic City.
Kelly (19-1-1 9 KOs) won the IBF title by defeating Bakhram Murtazaliev in January in Newcastle, England, and defended the crown against Caoimhin Agyarko in Saudi Arabia in July.
Boots and Kelly’s showdown will bring the 154-pound division closer to having an undisputed champion, with WBC ruler Sebastian Fundora lying in wait for the winner, and both men are confident that they will emerge victorious in Matchroom’s first event in Atlanta.
“It’s that time again!” said Ennis in a statement. “I’m adding another belt to the collection! It’s time to look marvelous and put on a beautiful show. 154 pounds is MINE! I’m going to keep knocking them down one by one!”
“I’ve waited a very long time to prove myself at the highest level – finally I have that moment!” said Kelly.
“What a fantastic unification fight this is,” said Eddie Hearn. “Boots and Josh are both brilliant world champions, and this was not a difficult fight to make when you lay out what is there for the winner – three belts around your waist and just one more to collect to become undisputed at 154 and lay the foundations to a legacy in the sport.
According to Matchroom Boxing, an undercard announcement will be made at a later date.
Leave a Reply