Aaron McKenna, the freshly crowned IBF middleweight champion, is only at the beginning of what he envisions as a dominant career in the 160‑pound division. After clinching the title with a decisive win over Etinosa Oliha on a night that will be remembered by the Dublin crowd at the 3Arena, McKenna immediately turned his attention to a larger ambition: to follow in the footsteps of legends like Canelo Álvarez and Gennadiy "GGG" Golovkin and become the undisputed king of the middleweight class. In his post‑fight press conference, McKenna laid out a clear roadmap for his next steps.
He named the current holders of the other major belts as his targets: WBO champion Denzel Bentley, WBC champion Carlos Adames and WBA champion Erislandy Lara. "It doesn't matter who steps up next, whoever wants it – I'm ready. I now have a belt, so there's no hiding any longer.
I want to collect every single championship in boxing. I'm the best middleweight and super‑middleweight in the world, and I don’t mind moving up," he told Sky Sports. The young Irish fighter’s confidence stems from a lifelong dream.
He recalled that the vision of standing atop the middleweight world has been with him since he was six years old. "It just goes to show, don’t give up, always stay true to yourself.
You can achieve anything if you stay focused," McKenna said, emphasizing the perseverance that has guided his journey from a small gym in Ireland to a global stage. McKenna’s aspirations extend beyond simply adding more belts to his résumé.
He believes the middleweight division has been in a state of stagnation since Golovkin and Canelo began to drift away from regular competition in the weight class. "The middleweight division is there to be taken over. It’s been dying for years since GGG and Canelo left it. I said it a year ago – I think I’m going to be the man to take it over," he declared, underscoring his desire to rejuvenate the category with high‑profile match‑ups and unified titles.
He is not shy about the challenge either. "Anyone. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I will literally fight anyone out there.
I just want to unify, whatever it takes, prove I’m the best in the world. That’s the sport of boxing.
Look back at the 80s and 90s – they all fought each other," McKenna explained, invoking the golden era of the sport when champions frequently faced one another across promotional lines. McKenna also highlighted the role of his promotional partner, Zuffa Boxing, in shaping the future of the sport. "This is exactly why Zuffa Boxing’s going to be the future.
It’s already taking over. Everybody’s fighting each other, there’s no more hiding," he said, pointing to a new business model that encourages open‑weight and cross‑promotion bouts, thereby creating more opportunities for unification.
When asked about the pressure of being a world champion, the 27‑year‑old reflected on the long road that led him here. "Twenty‑one years in the making," he said, acknowledging the years of training, setbacks, and incremental progress that culminated in his victory. "I don’t know how long this is going to take for this to sink in that this has finally happened – I’ve become world champion. I’ve been dreaming of this.
For it to happen now, honestly, it’s literally unbelievable. I can’t describe it." Beyond the immediate goal of unifying the middleweight titles, McKenna hinted at a broader vision for his career.
He expressed openness to moving up to super‑middleweight if the right fight presented itself, noting that his skill set and power could translate well to the higher weight class. "I don’t mind jumping up," he reiterated, suggesting that his ambition is not confined to a single division but rather to establishing himself as a transcendent champion across multiple weight categories.
The champion also addressed the skepticism he faced early in his career. "No one really believed me. Until you put in performances like that and then they start listening. In life you’ve got to prove yourself sometimes.
Tonight I’ve done that. I just hope one of the other world champions will take the fight so we can clean up this mess of a division," he said, acknowledging that his recent victory is just the first step toward a larger, more cohesive middleweight landscape. Looking ahead, McKenna’s schedule is likely to include negotiations with the WBO, WBC and WBA title holders, as well as potential superfights with top‑ranked contenders who have been waiting for a unification opportunity.
The champion’s confidence, combined with his proven ability to deliver compelling performances, positions him as a compelling draw for fans worldwide. In summary, Aaron McKenna’s message is simple and unequivocal: he has earned a world title, he is hungry for more, and he intends to fight anyone who stands in his way to unify the middleweight division and perhaps beyond. His statements reflect a blend of youthful optimism, seasoned determination, and a strategic understanding of the modern boxing business. If he can deliver on these promises, the middleweight class may indeed experience a renaissance, with McKenna at its helm, carrying forward the legacy of Golovkin, Canelo and the great champions who defined the weight class before him.