Okolie brings first African title fight to Lagos as boxing eyes Detty December crowd

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 16 December 2025 4:48pm WAT

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Nigerian-born British heavyweight contender, Lawrence Okolie

Nigerian-born British heavyweight contender, Lawrence Okolie

Nigerian-born British heavyweight contender, Lawrence Okolie, will make his professional debut on African soil later this month when he headlines Chaos in the Ring II in Lagos, in a bout promoters say is aimed at positioning Nigeria as a regular host of major international boxing events.

Okolie, a former world champion in two weight divisions and the current WBC number one-ranked heavyweight contender, is scheduled to face Ghanaian boxer Ebenezer Tetteh on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at the Detty December Festival Grounds. The fight will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN.

The Lagos event is being promoted by former world champion Amir Khan and Dr Ezekiel Adamu, chief executive of Balmoral Group Promotions, following the inaugural edition of Chaos in the Ring earlier this year.

Speaking ahead of the fight, Adamu said the organisers were seeking to demonstrate Africa’s capacity to stage high-profile boxing contests. “This card is here to make a statement. Africa is ready to host the biggest nights in world boxing, and Chaos in the Ring II is proof,” he said.

Khan described the Lagos card as a significant moment in his promotional career. “I’ve fought all over the world, but this Lagos card is special. Okolie headlining in Africa for the first time, a stacked heavyweight lineup, and Detty December behind us, we are giving fans a night they’ll never forget,” he said.

Okolie, 33, was born in London to Nigerian parents and has previously held the WBO cruiserweight title and the WBC bridgerweight crown before moving up to the heavyweight division. He said fighting in Lagos carried personal significance.

“Fighting in Lagos means everything to me,” Okolie said. “This is where my family is from. This is the dream. Under the Detty December lights, I’m putting on a show you won’t forget.”

His opponent, Tetteh, is an experienced Ghanaian heavyweight known for his knockout power. The 23-3 boxer, who has 20 wins by stoppage, recently went seven rounds with British heavyweight Dillian Whyte and has said he intends to test Okolie over the course of the fight.

The co-main event will feature French heavyweight Tony Yoka, the 2016 Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist, who faces Germany’s Patrick Korte in a ten-round bout as Yoka attempts to revive his world title ambitions.

The undercard includes two all-Nigerian contests, with Basit Adebayo set to meet Sikiru Shogbesan and Isaac Chukwudi facing unbeaten Raheem Animashaun in six-round bouts.

Other fights on the bill include Ghanaian Elvis Ahorgah against Britain’s Harley Benn, a clash between unbeaten prospects Shiloh Defreitas and Taye Fajimi, and a four-round women’s bout between Nene Joy Ojo and Sandra Darkwah Boateng.

With Lagos hosting the event during the Detty December festivities and a global television audience expected, organisers say Chaos in the Ring II is intended to combine sport and culture while raising the profile of professional boxing in Nigeria and across the continent.

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