Caoimhin Agyarko Preparing For ‘Hardest Fight Of My Career’

January 13, 2026

Belfast’s Caoimhin Agyarko believes his IBF World Super-Welterweight Title final eliminator against Brandon Adams will be the ‘hardest fight of my career’.

The Irishman is preparing for what he expects to be a tough night’s work, but is confident of getting his hand raised.

Caoimhin Agyarko Preparing For ‘Hardest Fight Of My Career’

After officially reaching a deal for their IBF World Super-Welterweight Title final eliminator, Brandon Adams vs Caoimhin Agyarko is officially on for April 18 in California.

The fight sees the #5 ranked Adams take on the #7 ranked Agyarko to determine who will become the mandatory challenger to Bakhram Murtazaliev’s IBF crown.

Going into the fight, Adams will likely be the favourite, which isn’t anything new for Agyarko. The west Belfast man has been written off countless times before, and is expected to be a sizable underdog come fight night once again.

Agyarko’s last fight against Ishmael Davis at Windsor Park in Belfast on the Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan 2 undercard was a fight he was a marginal underdog in, yet won on the three judges’ scorecards.

Fight news: Brandon Adams and Caoimhin Agyarko will square off in an IBF junior middleweight title eliminator on April 18 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, to headline a DMG Boxing show, I’m told by event organizers. The fight was set for a purse bid earlier today.

— Manouk Akopyan (@ManoukAkopyan) January 6, 2026

For his next fight, Agyarko is under no illusions that he will have to produce a career-best performance once again if he is to leave the US and return to Ireland as the new IBF mandatory challenger.

The 29-year-old feels that his next fight against Adams, who is coming in off a career-best win over Serhii Bohachuk in their rematch, will undoubtedly be the toughest bout of his career to date:

“I think this next fight is going to be the hardest fight of my career,” Agyarko told Belfast Live.

“Obviously, it’s a world title eliminator, so both fighters, me and my opponent, will know that we are one fight away from fighting for a world title.

“The job’s not done yet and even when I do win my next fight, the job isn’t done until I become a world champion.”

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A post shared by Caoimhín Agyarko (@blackthunder.ca)

Agyarko Dreaming Of Becoming First Black Irish World Champion

Ever since he was a kid, Caoimhin Agyarko has dreamt of becoming world champion. Not only has ‘Black Thunder’ dreamt of becoming world champion, but becoming the first ever black Irish world champion in history.

The 29-year-old has the chance to create history and write his name into Irish boxing folklore if he becomes world champion, but still has a few obstacles in his way before he can call himself a bonafide world champion.

That being said, Agyarko’s main motivation is the opportunity to create history. Not money, not titles so to speak, but the chance to become the first black Irish world champion from the Emerald Isle.

“As a 14-year-old kid, when I realised that I could achieve something out of boxing, that was my goal to become the first black Irish world champion.

I will be the first black irish world champion mark my words.

— Caoimhín Agyarko (@caoimhinagyarko) January 8, 2021

“To be an Irish world champion and put my name up there with the rest of the great Irish fighters would be an absolute privilege and an unbelievable achievement for myself and my family, but I realised I can create a bit of history in becoming the first black Irish world champion and I believe I’ll do that.

“That’s when I can kind of relax and go, I’ve achieved the dream of mine and created history.”

Adams vs Agyarko purse bids were originally called for January 6, but the two teams agreed terms a day prior. This means that the west Belfast man will have to travel to California for his IBF final eliminator, with a win putting him one step closer to achieving his lifelong dream.

This really could be the year that Caoimhin Agyarko fulfils his destiny and becomes the first black Irish world champion. It won’t be easy, but it’s most definitely achievable.