Josh Kelly v Boots Ennis official for Atlanta as Hearn says winner has 'one more to collect'

Kelly's IBF title and Ennis's WBA and WBO belts are on the line at State Farm Arena on Saturday 27 February, Matchroom's first ever event in Atlanta.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Wed 11 Nov, 22:16 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Jaron Ennis and Josh Kelly — Photo: Matchroom Boxing

Josh Kelly will put his IBF super-welterweight title on the line against unbeaten WBA and WBO champion Jaron "Boots" Ennis in a three-belt unification at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday 27 February, Matchroom announced on Wednesday night.

The fight will be shown live on DAZN. The winner will hold three of the four major belts at 154lb, with WBC champion Sebastian Fundora holding the fourth.

"What a fantastic unification fight this is," promoter Eddie Hearn said. "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."

Hearn added that he "already cannot wait for February 27", calling it "our first ever event in Atlanta".

Kelly (19-1-1), a 2016 Olympian from Sunderland, won the IBF title by beating Bakhram Murtazaliev in Newcastle in January and defended it against Caoimhin Agyarko in Saudi Arabia in July. Ennis unified the WBA and WBO titles by stopping Xander Zayas in the seventh round at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in June.

Both fighters signed new Matchroom deals ahead of the unification, with Ennis's covering his next seven fights.

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Sebastian Fundora