Zuffa Boxing has lined up a heavyweight main event for its February 14 show, with Efe Ajagba set to face former IBF champion Charles Martin at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
The February 14 show follows Zuffa Boxing’s debut on January 23 and a second event planned for January 30. The launch card will be headlined by unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Callum Walsh against former title challenger Carlos Ocampo, while the January 30 lineup is still taking shape, with Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela expected to feature prominently.
Ajagba, a 2016 Olympian, enters with a 20-1-1 (14 KOs) record and is looking to reestablish momentum after declining a purse offer for an ordered IBF eliminator against Frank Sanchez last year, which ultimately ended his relationship with Top Rank. The fight also revives a bout once considered for a 2023 ESPN+ main event before Ajagba instead stopped Joseph Goodall in four rounds.
Martin, 30-4-1 (27 KOs), brings name recognition and championship pedigree. The 39-year-old southpaw won the IBF heavyweight title in 2016 before losing it to Anthony Joshua in his first defense. Since then, his career has been marked by sporadic appearances, tough assignments against contenders such as Jared Anderson and Luis Ortiz, and notable wins including a knockout of Gerald Washington. His most recent outing was a quick stoppage of Matthew McKinney in November 2024.
The February 14 card is part of Zuffa Boxing’s initial push under the TKO Group Holdings banner and represents the first boxing content on a Paramount Skydance platform since Showtime exited the sport in 2023.
Image Credit: Sky Sports