Angelo Leo has somehow gone from a guaranteed date for a voluntary defense at home to a pursued mandatory title fight that has yet to reach a resolution.
BoxingScene has confirmed that the IBF has called for a purse bid for Leo’s ordered featherweight title defense versus Ra’eese Aleem. The sanctioning body has scheduled a February 17 hearing to determine promotional rights for the mandatory clash.
Leo, 26-1 (12 KOs), was originally due to face contender Lerato Dlamini on February 21 in Leo’s hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. As previously reported by BoxingScene, a decision was made on the Leo side to table those plans and instead next face Aleem, 23-1 (12 KOs).
However, the two sides could not come to terms in more than a month since their fight was formally ordered by the IBF.
Leo has held the title since his stirring one-punch knockout win over Luis Alberto Lopez in their August 2024 ESPN headliner from Albuquerque. The bout was fought on competitive terms through nine rounds before Leo uncorked a left hook in the 10th to put Lopez down and out.
The win saw Leo become a two-division titlist, having previously held the WBO 122lbs strap. He’s since made just one successful defense, a 12-round majority decision over former 118lbs titleholder Tomoki Kameda last May 24 in Osaka, Japan. That bout was also a mandatory title defense, with Leo now prepared to go back-to-back to pursue the bigger fights at the weight down the line.
All told, Leo has won six in a row since he conceded the WBO 122lbs title to Stephen Fulton in their January 2021 battle between unbeaten boxers. His last five victories have come at featherweight since he returned to the sport in November 2023.
Aleem’s career resurgence has been modest in comparison but very rewarding in its own way.
The 35-year-old Las Vegas-based contender – originally from Muskegon, Michigan – has won three straight since a June 2023 points loss to Sam Goodman. Their IBF 122lbs title eliminator took place on the road in Broadbeach, Australia, where Aleem turned in by far the most disappointing performance of his career to that point.
It took a while to make it all the way back to where he was prior to that point. Aleem never lost faith, however, nor was he spooked over the idea of once again traveling abroad to move within one win from his first career title shot.
The gamble paid off for Aleem, who soundly outpointed previously unbeaten Mikito Nakano this past November 24 in Tokyo. A 10th-round knockdown paved the way for a spectacular finish by Aleem, who prevailed by scores of 115-112, 116-111 and 118-109 in their IBF title eliminator.
