Mikey McKinson fights Tulani Mbenge for the IBO World welterweight title on October 19
Portsmouth’s Michael McKinson (26-1, 4KO) challenges South African dangerman Tulani Mbenge (20-2, 15KO) for the vacant IBO World welterweight title at the Copper Box Arena in London, live on Sky Sports.
The 147-pounders will do battle on the Adam Azim vs Ohara Davies undercard, promoted by BOXXER.
The experienced visitor has won this IBO World welterweight title before, back in 2018, but lost it in his second defence to German Sebastian Formella in 2019. Now he travels to London in a bid to regain his belt five years on, but there’s a ‘Problem’ standing in his way.
Mikey ‘The Problem’ Mckinson spoke exclusively to BBN about his forthcoming fight and how he feels like he has become a forgotten man in a stacked division.
Stop the press
30-year-old McKinson, a former WBO Global champion. reflected on when he first heard about this fight being made many months ago, “When it first got announced there was loads of attention, then I went away to America – I was sparring over there – so I guess I’ve become the forgotten man, kind of thing.
Fighting for a world title at home, McKinson was expecting to receive far more press coverage than he actually has, “I thought I would get a lot more. From my area, this is the biggest title that somebody’s fought for ever.”
The IBO
The IBO are a world governing body described as an “independent, transparent and respected version of the world title”, but not part of the ‘big four’ that are globally recognised as official world titles – WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO.
However, McKinson believes that winning this valuable belt would open up a gateway to those higher honours, “It’s my ticket to the big four. It holds a lot of bargaining power,” he enthused. “Lyndon Arthur won the IBO, then managed to get the [Dmitry] Bivol fight; [Anthony] Cacace won the IBO and managed to get the [Joe] Cordina fight.
“It is definitely recognised as a strong bargaining tool, so I see it as my golden ticket, I do.”
He continued, “I don’t really lose sleep about getting a big domestic fight because, two years ago, I tasted what it was like in world level fights. Ever since, that’s all I’ve had my eye on, so beating Mbenge for a title like the IBO puts me in a great position – in grabbing distance of them fights – so yeah, it’s a very important fight for me this weekend.”
Saddle up!
The world level fight Mikey is referring to is when he rolled the dice and travelled to Fort Worth, Texas to wrangle with the highly-rated resident, Vergil Ortiz Jr., who is still unbeaten today and is now the reigning WBC World Interim super-welterweight champion, as of August this year.
Although the 12-round WBO International welterweight title contest didn’t go his way, unable to win the belt due two knockdowns and an injury in the ninth round, McKinson has learnt from his loss in the Lone Star State.
“When I went over to Texas to fight Ortiz, I had nothing to lose,” he begun. “I was very confident but the reality of it was that I was a 9-1 underdog; this time I’ve got everything to lose, so it is very important to me.
“The way I approach all my fights is with an underdog mentality. Mbenge is still a top 10 boxer and world class fighter. A fighter where I thought the bookies would go against me, which they haven’t, but even though they’ve made me the slight favourite, I still see myself as the underdog here.
“He’s ranked above me in every ranking, he comes with a lot of confidence, a lot of belief, and that’s the way I like it, but I’ll gladly put myself in the underdog role here because that’s where I perform better. When I put my back up against the wall, I shine a lot better.
“After the Ortiz fight, I wanted to fight straightaway. A lot of people would’ve took the rest of the year off, and I thought I don’t want to end my best year in boxing with a loss; through injury as well, my dad pulled me out with a hip injury in the fight, when I was doing okay.
“I was actually doing alright, I was winning rounds, I cut him, I was giving him problems, and then I got a hip injury and it was downhill from there.
“I didn’t want to end that year on my hands and knees, I wanted to get straight back on the saddle and be active and that’s exactly what I did. I’ve boxed four times since Ortiz; I’ve knocked two of them out and I hardly lost a round in the other two, so I kind of did the right thing, I learnt a lot from it.”
Philadelphia Dreaming
McKinson has taken himself out of his comfort zone for this world title tilt, travelling 3,500 miles, swapping Portsmouth for Philly.
“For this camp here, I’ve been over in Philadelphia, sparring Jaron Ennis. They were obviously tough rounds, four-minute rounds with a 30-second break. I’ve had it hard. I don’t want no if, buts or maybes.”
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is the reigning IBF World welterweight champion, trained by his father, Bozy Ennis, in the aptly named gym, ‘Bozy’s Dungeon’.
“Proper doghouse, it was. And he’s [Ennis] unbelievable! He’s the No.1 welterweight on the planet and I really got a lot out of the few weeks I was there.
“I sparred Julian ‘J-Rock’ Williams as well, former unified super-welterweight world champion; and being around ‘Boots’ Ennis in the gym, Stephen Fulton; there’s some really exceptional talent in that gym, Bryant Jennings…
“Even the days I didn’t spar, I was learning, so it was all good.
“I’m 30-years-old, I’ve been a pro for 10 years, so that’s what I’m saying, this [fight] is important.
“I’m lucky enough to have a decent sponsor – HMBS – that wants to invest in these great camps. We wasn’t invited over Jaron’s camp, we went off our own accord to get the world class sparring.
“From the first day, Bozy [Ennis] really looked after us and worked with me. And he liked us, so it’s definitely something we will do in the future.”
Mikey revealed how the trip has paid off as he experienced his hardest but best training camp yet, “Yeah, in terms of development, 100 per cent. You can imagine what it’s like going to Philadelphia gyms, hostile at first, and then you kind of adapt and become one of them by the end of the trip.
“So, it was unbelievable working with the best welterweight on the planet, it was amazing. I felt very lucky to have experienced that camp.”
McKinson vs Mbenge
McKinson then turned his attention Mbenge, the former IBO world champion who stands between him and his world title this weekend, “He is better than every single person I have fought, except Ortiz, I would say. It’s the biggest fight of my career since Ortiz.
“You know, he’s a proven world class fighter; his two losses, I would go as far to say that he won those fights.
“He lost to [Sebastian] Formella in Germany; he should’ve won it. And he lost to [Souleymane] Cissokho, the WBC #1 in Paris; he should have won that one too.
“So he’s kind of had two tough defeats, but he’s very dangerous, very rangy, slick, he’s quick; he’s kind of all-round better than everyone else I’ve been in the ring with except Ortiz.
“It’s not so much what he’s got and what he can do, it’s can he solve what I can do? I’ve prepared well, whatever he can bring I’ve had it harder. That’s exactly how it is, I’ve had it harder in this camp. Like, whatever he’s got to bring, I’ve seen worse this camp.
“So, I’m not fazed about how good he is; I’m definitely prepared, and I can’t wait to show everyone on the weekend.”
What’s next?
When asked what plans there are for 2025, McKinson flatly shut down any future talk, “No, there isn’t a plan ahead. My plan is everything focused on tomorrow.
“With the IBO, I know what could come next, and that is my vision. Winning the IBO, it could lead to one of the four world titles. It’s a bargaining tool that the bigger fighters would like, so I’ll have something that people want, so yeah 2025 looks exciting when I win this.”
The ‘forgotten man’ concluded, “I feel like I’ll have a voice again. So, on Saturday, once I’ve won and its all said and done, I will have a voice, and I will be using that voice!”
Michael McKinson and Tulani Mbenge both weighed in at 10st 6lb 5oz today, their fight will be live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, and Peacock in the USA.
Full running order and ringwalk times HERE