Josh Kelly retained his IBF light-middleweight title with a hard-earned points win over Caoimhin Agyarko in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 25 July 2026 — but the Sunderland man was made to work every step of the way.

The judges scored it 114-113, 115-112, and 115-112, all for Kelly, who moved to 21 professional victories with the win BBC Sport. For Agyarko, fighting out of Belfast, it was the first defeat of a 30-fight professional career.

The contest was Kelly's first defence of the IBF super-welterweight title — light-middleweight and super-welterweight are two names for the same 154-pound weight class — and it doubled as the chief support on a stacked card headlined by Anthony Joshua against Kristian Prenga BBC Sport. The entire event aired exclusively on DAZN Ring Magazine, via Facebook.

Kelly's night was not without complication. He received a point deduction in the sixth round for repeated punches to the back of Agyarko's head — the kind of foul that referees penalise because rabbit punches can cause serious neck and spinal damage BBC Sport. That deduction tightened the scorecards considerably and gave Agyarko genuine belief heading into the second half of the fight.

The Belfast challenger pressed forward throughout, refusing to let Kelly settle into the slick, counter-punching rhythm that has defined his career. The result was a contest that swung with momentum: Kelly's cleaner work early, Agyarko's relentless pressure late, and a final bell that left the outcome in the judges' hands until the scorecards were read.

On the same card, Hamzah Sheeraz retained his WBO super-middleweight title with a majority decision win over Simon Zachenhuber — a result that kept the unbeaten Briton's momentum rolling on a night that delivered for British fight fans across two weight classes BBC Sport.

Kelly did not wait long to look ahead. In his post-fight comments, he called out Jaron "Boots" Ennis as the opponent he wants next ESPN. Ennis is one of the most avoided fighters in world boxing, a dominant welterweight who has talked about moving up in weight. A meeting between the two would pit Kelly's fluid, evasive style against one of the sport's most aggressive pressure fighters.

For now, Kelly's belt stays in Sunderland. Agyarko goes home with a first loss on his record but a performance that ensures he will be back on the radar for another big fight before long.