Jesse Rodriguez is scheduled for the next phase of his goal to become the first undisputed super-flyweight boxing champion when he faces WBO titleholder Phumelele Cafu on July 19. Now, Matchroom has announced the addition of another significant bout with world title implications to the card.
Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, who holds a professional record of 18 wins and 1 loss, with 12 victories by knockout, has been highly touted by fans. However, his forward momentum was temporarily halted last year when Hamzah Sheeraz stopped him in the 11th round, marking Williams` first career defeat.
Despite this setback, the southpaw fighter from Wisconsin has shown resilience, securing two consecutive wins since the loss to regain his position in world title contention. These victories include a stoppage against Gian Garrido and a points win over Patrice Volny.
These recent performances have placed Williams within the top 10 rankings of three major sanctioning bodies, reinforcing the belief among observers that he has the potential to become a leading American force in the esteemed 160-pound middleweight division.
Meanwhile, Italy`s Etinosa Oliha, undefeated at 21-0 with 9 knockouts, is currently ranked #2 by the IBF. Since partnering with German promotional company Agon Sports in 2023, Oliha has demonstrated technical improvements, maintaining his perfect record with five straight wins against tougher opponents primarily in Germany.
In March, the IBF mandated a fight between Williams and Oliha to determine the mandatory challenger for the unified middleweight champion, Janibek Alimkhanuly, who is undefeated at 17-0 with 12 knockouts. A deal could not be reached between the parties, leading the contest to go to purse bids.
Matchroom successfully won the purse bid, outbidding Agon Sports by a narrow margin of just $18,000. Eddie Hearn`s promotion has opted to feature this crucial IBF eliminator bout on the undercard of the Rodriguez-Cafu main event. The IBF website has confirmed that Williams and Oliha will indeed meet in Frisco, Texas, on July 19.
Matchroom has also confirmed another prominent fight for the same card, announcing that Diego Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOs) will face Trevor McCumby (28-1, 21 KOs) in the co-main event. Pacheco aims to use this opportunity to establish himself as an immediate and credible threat to the super-middleweight world championships.
