(July 17th) Zuffa Boxing has strengthened an already impressive lineup for its historic Irish debut by adding two of the nation's most accomplished professional boxers, Joe Ward and Connor "The Kid" Coyle, to the main card of Zuffa Boxing 10, scheduled for Saturday, August 8, at Dublin's iconic 3Arena.

The event marks the first Zuffa Boxing promotion to be staged in Ireland and is expected to showcase many of the country's top fighters before a passionate hometown crowd. The card will be broadcast live on Sky Sports throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, while fans in the United States and Canada can watch exclusively on Paramount+.

Headlining the Irish additions is former Olympian and light heavyweight contender Joe Ward, who returns to the ring in a scheduled 10-round contest against undefeated Artjom Kasparian. Widely regarded as one of Ireland's greatest amateur boxers, Ward represented Ireland at the 2016 Olympic Games and compiled one of the most decorated international amateur careers in Irish boxing history. A six-time European champion and 2015 AIBA World Championship silver medalist, Ward earned victories over many of the world's elite before making the transition to the professional ranks.

Ward enters the bout with a professional record of 7-1 with four knockouts, his lone defeat resulting from a serious knee injury suffered during his professional debut in 2019. Since scoring five consecutive victories between 2021 and 2022—including stoppage wins over Britton Norwood and Oscar Riojas—Ward has remained inactive while navigating contractual changes before recently signing a multi-year agreement with Zuffa Boxing. Now fully healthy and training for what he considers the most significant opportunity of his professional career, Ward is eager to perform in front of Irish fans once again.

"I'm ready to show Ireland what I've been working on," Ward said. "This is my moment, and I'm coming to put on a show for the hometown fans."

Also joining the featured portion of the card is undefeated middleweight contender Connor "The Kid" Coyle, one of Northern Ireland's most respected professional fighters. The Derry native brings an impressive 21-0 record with nine knockouts and one no contest, having built his reputation through victories in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Coyle captured the NABA Middleweight Championship in 2022 and has continued to establish himself among the division's leading contenders with victories over Antonio Todd, Sladan Janjanin, Cristian Fabian Rios, Joey Bryant and Kyle Lomotey. His most recent appearance came in February 2025 at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, where his bout against Vito Mielnicki Jr. was ruled a no contest. Now returning to compete before Irish fans on one of the sport's fastest-growing promotional platforms, Coyle's addition further elevates the depth and quality of the Dublin event.

The inclusion of Ward and Coyle reinforces Zuffa Boxing's commitment to showcasing Ireland's rich boxing tradition while featuring established contenders alongside rising stars. Their appearances add significant local interest to a card expected to attract boxing fans from across Ireland, Europe and beyond as Zuffa Boxing continues its international expansion.

The win was about more than the result — Hickey showcased the timing, patience, and shot selection that earned him his nickname, dissecting Tompkins before landing the perfectly placed punch that ended the night.

Now 5-0, 2Ko’s, the Dundee, southpaw steps into an eight-round middleweight clash against Yeovil, Somerset, UK’s, Brad “The Axe Man” Axe at Dublin’s 3Arena, part of the Z10 card airing live on Sky Sports. While the matchup reads like a prospect step-up, the stylistic dynamics suggest a far more instructive test.

Hickey’s foundation is built on amateur pedigree, but what’s translating early in his pro career is his command of distance and timing. He operates behind a disciplined lead hand, using a probing right jab not just to score but to measure and manipulate reactions. His knockout of Todd Tompkins came off exactly that — a controlled engagement where he drew the lead, created a narrow opening, and fired a compact counter right hook/straight hybrid with minimal telegraph. The key detail: no wasted motion, and full balance on impact.

Technically, Hickey prefers mid-range, where he can see shots develop and make reads. His feet stay underneath him, allowing for quick resets rather than prolonged exchanges. He’s not a high-volume puncher; instead, he prioritizes shot selection, often throwing in singles or twos while maintaining defensive responsibility. His head movement is subtle rather than exaggerated, small slips and half-steps that keep him just outside return fire.

That approach will be directly challenged by the once beaten Axe, 5-1, who brings a very different tactical identity. Axe on a four bout points win victory run since his sole defeat a four round points loss to Corpus Christi, Texas, then unbeaten, “King” Juan Delgado is a pressure-oriented orthodox fighter who looks to collapse space and force exchanges inside the pocket. He tends to advance behind a high guard, accepting incoming shots in order to close distance. Once inside, he works in short bursts, leaning in with compact hooks to the body and head to disrupt rhythm. His recent win an eight round points win over South Ockendon, Essex, Kevin Reavell showed his willingness to fight through damage and maintain output across eight rounds, even in a messy, attritional contest.

From a technical standpoint, Axe’s key weapon isn’t a single punch, it’s his ability to break structure. He crowds opponents, limits their extension, and turns fights into sequences of short-range exchanges where cleaner technicians can be neutralized if they don’t adjust. That creates a clear tactical fault line.

Hickey’s success hinges on maintaining range discipline. He’ll need to consistently win the lead-hand battle, re-establish his jab after every exchange, and pivot off the line rather than retreating straight back — a critical detail against a forward-pressure fighter. If he allows Axe to set his feet inside, the fight shifts from controlled tempo to physical negotiation.

For Axe, the path is equally defined: cut the ring, invest early in the body, and force Hickey to work at a pace and proximity he hasn’t yet had to sustain over multiple rounds. The longer the fight stays in tight quarters, the more it favors his durability and work rate.

Undefeated middleweights Aaron McKenna and Etinosa Oliha will battle for the vacant IBF middleweight championship in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 10, set for August 8 at Dublin’s 3Arena. The 12-round title clash headlines Zuffa Boxing’s inaugural event in Ireland and marks the promotion’s second card featuring a major championship bout.

McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs), a 26-year-old native of Ireland, enters the biggest fight of his career following an impressive unanimous decision victory over former world champion Liam Smith on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn in April. The contest will also represent McKenna’s long-awaited first professional appearance on Irish soil.

Standing across the ring will be Italy’s unbeaten Oliha (22-0, 10 KOs), who earned his most recent victory with a third-round technical knockout of Ivan Njegac last September. The 27-year-old has steadily climbed the rankings and now gets his opportunity to capture world championship gold.

The vacant IBF title championship became available earlier this year after Janibek Alimkhanuly was stripped of the belt, creating an opportunity for two of the division’s rising contenders to compete for the prestigious crown.

The co-main event will feature another highly anticipated middleweight showdown as undefeated Irish star “King” Callum Walsh (16-0, 11 KOs) faces former European champion Tyler Denny (21-4-3, 1 KO) in a scheduled 10-round contest. Walsh, the popular Cork southpaw, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Carlos Ocampo at Zuffa Boxing 1 in January, while Britain’s Denny looks to rebound following a points loss to George Liddard in March.

Zuffa Boxing arrives at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday, August 8, with a blockbuster summer card headlined by two of Ireland’s unbeaten middleweight standouts, rising star Aaron "Silencer" McKenna finally making his long-awaited professional debut on home soil vs. Etinosa "El Chapo" Oliha

Vetura, California based, hard-hitting southpaw, Cork Ireland transplant, “King” Callum Walsh, returns before a passionate Irish crowd in the co-feature against Rowley Regis, West Midlands, southpaw, Tyler Denny, 23-4-1, 1Ko of what promises to be a memorable night of world-class boxing.

Positioned on a card headlined by Aaron McKenna with Callum Walsh featured in the co-main, this bout serves as a litmus test for Hickey’s ceiling. Beating Axe isn’t just about staying unbeaten, it’s about demonstrating he can impose his style against resistance designed to disrupt it.

Zuffa Boxing 10
Date: August 8, 2026

Promoter: Dana White - Zuffa Boxing
Venue: 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland

Media: Paramount+ - Sky Sports

Featured Bouts

Zuffa Boxing Middleweight Championship
Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa Oliha – 12ds

Middleweight Co-Feature
Callum"King" Walsh vs. Tyler Denny – - 10rds

Zuffa Boxing previously staged its first championship bout in March when Australia’s Jai Opetaia defeated Brandon Glanton by unanimous decision to retain his Ring Magazine cruiserweight championship and capture the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title. Now, with a vacant IBF world title on the line, the promotion takes another significant step forward as it brings a historic championship event to Ireland.