Ike Ibeabuchi has returned to professional boxing at 52, securing a third-round technical knockout against Idris Afinni on August 23, 2025, at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
The Nigerian heavyweight have extended his undefeated record to 21 wins, including 16 knockouts, more than two decades after his last professional bout in 1999.
Afinni, aged 40, entered the contest with an 18-9-2 record, but he withdrew after three rounds, unable to absorb Ibeabuchi’s sustained pressure.
Ibeabuchi’s career collapsed in 1999 after his imprisonment in Las Vegas on charges of battery and attempted sexual assault, leading to a 16-year sentence.
Following his release, US deported him to Nigeria in 2021, ending years of speculation about whether he would return to competitive boxing.
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In the late 1990s, he was a rising contender, defeating David Tua in 1997 in a record-setting heavyweight contest with 1,730 punches thrown.
He also stopped Chris Byrd in 1999, a victory that had positioned him for potential fights against Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis before his legal troubles intervened.
After his latest victory, Ibeabuchi issued a direct challenge to Oleksandr Usyk, the undisputed heavyweight champion, stating his aim to surpass George Foreman’s age record.
The Lagos win ensured that one of boxing’s most controversial figures has officially revived his professional career with an undefeated record intact.
