Josh Kelly

Bio

Josh Kelly is the IBF super welterweight champion of the world and one of the most naturally gifted British fighters of his generation. The Sunderland man — Pretty Boy to anyone who has watched him glide around a ring — boxes with his hands low, his feet fast and his chin higher than his trainer would like, and on his night he is absolute class.

The talent was never in question; the application sometimes was. An Olympian at Rio 2016, Kelly’s early career promised the world before a chastening night against David Avanesyan forced a rebuild. Credit where it is due — he did rebuild, properly, moving up to 154lbs and maturing from showman into champion.

Now 19-1-1 and holding the IBF belt, Kelly watches on as the division sorts out his mandatory challenger — the August 2026 eliminator between Nikita Tszyu and Ben Mahoney ended in a split draw, leaving the queue behind him in chaos. Whoever eventually gets the call, the champion has the tools to make it a long night.