Zuffa Boxing 3 – Business Picks Up: Ajagba v Martin Preview and Prediction

Efe Ajagba (1.16) v Charles Martin (5.00) (Heavyweight)

4:20 AM Monday SA time

Formed by TKO, the owners of the UFC and WWE, and entertainment conglomerate Sela, Zuffa Boxing is setting out to change the game and, ultimately, take over.

Its leadership includes White, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and owner of The Ring, Sela managing director and CEO Dr. Rakan AlHarthy and WWE president Nick Khan, a super team intent on “fixing” boxing and presenting it as they feel it should be presented.

Starting small and in it for the long haul, they held their first two events at their Las Vegas facility last month. White’s pugilism passion project, Callum Walsh, a young, promising and unbeaten Irish southpaw, capped off a solid opening event with a convincing decision victory over Carlos Ocampo in the main event.

For their second act, former WBA super lightweight champion Jose Valenzuela overcame a nasty cut to outpoint Diego Torres in the night’s headliner. The promotion’s second show was a marked improvement on the first, and given who’s in charge and the tools they have at their disposal, Zuffa Boxing is a machine that’s only going to keep building momentum.

The first African fighter to headline a Zuffa Boxing event, Ajagba is a man on a mission for gold. The 31-year-old, who represented Nigeria at the 2016 Olympic Games, boasts a pro record of 20-1-1 with 14 knockouts.

Fighting out of Stafford, Texas, Ajagba is 5-0-1 record since suffering the lone loss of his career against Frank Sanchez by unanimous decision in 2021. His last win was by split decision over Guido Vianello in April 2024, while he fought to a majority draw against Martin Bakole last time out in May.

“The Silent Roller” is on the doorstep of a major title fight and will be looking to make serious noise in the headliner, scheduled for 10 rounds. For a giant standing 6’6″, he has impressive movement and will have a significant speed advantage over his veteran foe.

Ten years after Martin’s crowning achievement – a third-round knockout of Vyacheslav Glazkov to win the vacant IBF title – the American is still at it. His time at the top was brief, less than three months to be precise, as he was stopped in two rounds by a then-undefeated Anthony Joshua.

He’s only fought 10 times since then and has gone 7-3 to take his overall record to 30-4-1 with 27 knockouts. He’s alternated wins and losses in his last four fights and was last in action in November 2024 when he knocked out Matthew McKinney in the first round.

Now 39, we can expect to see a plodding “Prince” who still possesses plenty of power but will likely be less effective at setting up those power shots with feints and movements. He is not going to outbox and outwork the younger, faster and more technical Ajagba, so he’ll be looking for that one big shot to pull off a massive upset.

Aside from his aforementioned edges, Ajagba will also enjoy a five-inch reach advantage. He could not have hoped for a bigger opportunity than this – to face a former champion on a massive platform on Paramount+. Not only can he not afford to squander it, but he needs to make the most of it, and that is not by chipping away to a decision on the outside.

Knowing White and his appetite for action and finishes, he would be less than thrilled with Ajagba if he plays it safe. To truly seize the moment, the Nigerian needs to close the show with a bang, and he has all the tools and motivation to do just that. 

Prediction: Ajagba by knockout.

Best Bet: Ajagba by KO/TKO/DQ (check markets).