Oldest Nigerian heavyweight boxer returns to the ring, eyes Usyk, Fury

Nigeria’s oldest active boxer, Ike Ibeabuchi, has officially returned to the sport after more than two decades away from the ring.

At 52 years of age, Ibeabuchi fought at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos where he stopped Idris Afinni, a local boxer with an 18-9-2 record. Afinni remained on his stool after three rounds, giving Ibeabuchi a technical knockout victory. The result improved his professional record to 21 wins with 16 knockouts and no losses.

Ibeabuchi, known in his prime as “The President,” was one of the most feared heavyweights of the 1990s. He defeated big names such as David Tua and Chris Byrd and was close to securing high-profile fights with Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. His career, however, was cut short in 1999 when he was jailed in the United States, a situation that kept him away from boxing for more than 20 years.

Now back in Nigeria, Ibeabuchi has set his sights on climbing into the WBC heavyweight rankings with hopes of a world title fight. He has openly called out current stars Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, and rising prospect Moses Itauma.

Speaking before the fight, Ibeabuchi expressed confidence that he can break George Foreman’s record as the oldest heavyweight champion in history.

He said his years of physical training, combined with academic achievements that include three college degrees, have made him both mentally and physically stronger.

The bout against Afinni marked Ibeabuchi’s first professional fight on Nigerian soil and was shown on pay-per-view through Prizefighting.tv.

His return adds to the list of legendary fighters attempting comebacks late in life, though Ibeabuchi insists his motivation is not nostalgia but the desire to prove himself after losing much of his career to prison.