Josh Kelly relishes underdog role at first Jaron Ennis face-off

Josh Kelly says being the underdog will set him free, after coming face to face with Jaron Ennis for the first time.

The two champions met in Los Angeles to launch their unification fight, and the Sunderland man sounded calm, clear and ready for the biggest night of his life.

The fight is on Saturday 27 February 2027 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Kelly defends his IBF super-welterweight title, while Ennis brings the WBA and WBO belts and an unbeaten record of 36-0. Three of the four major belts at 154lbs will be in the ring.

Josh Kelly: ‘When I’m the underdog I can just go in there and be free’

Kelly knows most people will pick Ennis, and he doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, he sounded like he enjoys it.

“Pressure always comes from the outside,” he said, in quotes released by Matchroom Boxing. “When I’m the underdog I can just go in there and be free. There are no expectations on me.”

He also made a sharp point about styles. “A lot of the guys I’ve boxed in the past have got the same come forward, hard hitting style,” Kelly said. “Boots has something different. I don’t believe that he has fought anyone with my skillset or style.”

Then came the line that sums up the fight. “It is going to be an interesting night and a violent dance in some sense,” he said.

Kelly was honest about his early career too. He stepped up quickly and suffered a defeat along the way, but he has no regrets. “I’ll never say ‘I should have done this’ or ‘I should have done that’,” he said. “I am where I am now, I belong here and I’m going to show that.”

Boots Ennis wants the red belt

Ennis was just as confident, and a little cheeky. He held the IBF title at welterweight, and now he wants the red belt at 154lbs. “I want to put on a show and bring ruby back home,” he said. “She looks good too.”

The Philadelphia fighter promised he would not take Kelly lightly. “I know he’s sharp. But he can’t make any mistakes,” he said. “I’m ready to show the world why I am different and bring that belt back home with another knockout.”

Eddie Hearn: Kelly’s win was ‘the standout performance’

Eddie Hearn promotes both men, and he was full of praise for Kelly. He admitted he had doubts before Kelly beat Bakhram Murtazaliev on a majority decision in January to win the IBF title.

“Everyone thought he was mad. I’ll be honest, me included,” Hearn said. “He absolutely stood him on his head. For me, the standout performance at 154lbs in 2026.”

The fight will be shown live on TNT, truTV and DAZN in the US, and on DAZN worldwide. Hearn said the aim is for the winner to face WBC champion Sebastian Fundora for undisputed status.

Kelly’s trainer, Adam Booth, warned that Ennis is “a fighter who has a multitude of styles”. He added that he was “absolutely convinced” Kelly is ready for this moment.

Jack Shaw’s verdict

This is a fight British boxing should be proud of. Kelly is a former Olympian who recovered from defeat to become a world champion, and now he wants the hardest test out there. He is going to America, into Ennis’s world, and he is not scared of it.

Ennis will start as a clear favourite, and rightly so. But Kelly’s skills are real. If he keeps the discipline he showed against Murtazaliev, this could be one of the great British away wins.

For the full background on how the fight was made, read our report on Josh Kelly vs Jaron Ennis being set for Atlanta. You can follow every development on our boxing hub.