Nigeria’s Ajagba calls out Usyk, Fury, and Wilder

 Nigerian heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba has called out Oleksandr Usyk, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury days after brutally stopping former IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin in the fourth round of his Zuffa Boxing debut in Las Vegas

Ajagba dropped Martin in the third round with a devastating right hand before finishing the job early in the fourth, with referee Thomas Taylor waving off the contest at 1:11 after a barrage of rights left the American helpless on the canvas.

The victory, which improved Ajagba’s record to 21-1-1 with 15 knockouts, cemented his status as a top-10 heavyweight and prompted the 31-year-old to demand bigger fights.

“My last fight after Martin Bakole, they didn’t give me a shot against Usyk because it was a draw,” Ajagba said at the post-fight press conference.

“I want to fight Usyk, I wish I’d won the fight as they could have given it to me. But Usyk, Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll fight anyone in the top ten.”

A showdown with unified champion Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, remains a possibility, though the Ukrainian has been pursuing a voluntary defence after talks over a fight with Wilder collapsed. Wilder chose instead to face Derek Chisora on April 4 in London.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has since said Usyk must face interim WBC champion Agit Kabayel after his voluntary defence, which could further complicate Ajagba’s push for a title shot.

However, Ajagba’s path to the big names could open up if Usyk follows through on reported talks with Zuffa Boxing promoter Dana White over a potential move to the promotion.

Usyk’s team director Sergey Lapin told talkSPORT Bet, “There is contact, there is dialogue, and interest exists from Dana White and Zuffa Boxing. Details aren’t for the public right now. Let’s say a few doors are open, and if format, numbers, and timing align, the market could see a move nobody expects.”