Caoimhin Agyarko was beaten by Josh Kelly on a close unanimous decision in their IBF super welterweight world title fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Belfast boxer was appearing in his first world title contest and pushed Kelly in a competitive matchup.
The outcome reflected a fight in which Agyarko stayed in contention but was hurt by losing key stretches early and late. Those rounds proved decisive as the judges gave the decision to England’s Kelly after 12 rounds.
It was a frustrating result for Agyarko, who had entered the bout unbeaten and looking to take a major step on the world stage. The defeat leaves him with an 18-1 professional record after falling just short in a high-level title challenge.
Even in defeat, the contest marked an important moment in Agyarko’s career, showing he could compete in a world title setting. The narrow loss to Josh Kelly will likely be viewed as a significant test as the Belfast fighter assesses his next move in the super welterweight division.
