Nigerian heavyweight veteran Ike Ibeabuchi will return to the ring in December in Lagos, where he will fight for the World Boxing Bureau (WBB) Heavyweight Championship.
A victory in the highly anticipated 24 December showdown at the Teslim Balogun Stadium would place him on course to break George Foreman’s age record as the oldest man to win a recognised heavyweight title.
The WBB, a global boxing body that has been in existence for 26 years, has officially sanctioned the Lagos contest.
Ibeabuchi will face Kabiru Towolawi in a 12-round main event on a packed fight card promoted by Prizefighting dot tv.
Promoter Miyen Akiri said the Lagos show, which will stream on Prizefighting dot tv, is set up to give the former world-rated boxer a clear pathway in his comeback. He noted that victory in December would put Ibeabuchi “in a position to fight Oleksandr Usyk, the Ring Heavyweight Champion,” adding that the team simply wants “a fair, well-organised fight night that marks the next stage of his comeback.”
Ibeabuchi also spoke openly about his ambitions. According to him, “the fire for me to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world is burning hot within me. I will knock Usyk out just like George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer.”
Ibeabuchi was one of the most feared heavyweights of the late 1990s and carries a professional record of 21 wins (16 KOs) without defeat.
His rise included standout victories over David Tua and Chris Byrd before a long break from boxing. He made a successful return in August 2025 in Lagos, stopping Idris Afinni in three rounds.
His team believes the December fight offers him not only a championship belt but also a major step toward challenging the current world champions.
Foreman set the heavyweight age record at 45 in 1994. If Ibeabuchi wins the WBB title at 52, he would surpass that milestone and strengthen his claim for a future world title shot.
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