Michael McKinson gets the test he wanted in the shape of Tulani Mbenge

Michael McKinson will be aiming to remind his welterweight rivals exactly what he is capable of when he fights South Africa’s Tulani Mbenge on October 19th for the vacant IBO strap.

The fight will take place on the undercard of the super lightweight fight between Adam Azim and Ohara Davies and will be televised by Sky Sports.

McKinson, 26-1 (4 KOs), has been crying out for the opportunity to showcase his undoubted unorthodox skills against the best welterweights the world has to offer and whilst Mbenge, 20-2 (15 KOs), may not be familiar to British fight fans he is a hardened, experienced operator who carries legitimate power and has hopes of mixing with the division’s best himself.

McKinson is delighted to have a challenge he can sink his teeth into. 

“He’s a very solid opponent,” McKinson told BoxingScene. “I’ve never really ducked anyone in my whole career. I scream out for the big fights so now it’s time to show everyone why I scream so loud.”

McKinson has been waiting for this kind of opportunity since losing to Vergil Ortiz in 2022.

Although he was trailing in the fight, McKinson performed well in Texas before an injured hip restricted his movement and led to a ninth round stoppage loss.

Rather than a brave defeat turning him into an attractive proposition, the performance made the 30-year-old southpaw persona non-grata amongst his fellow welterweights. He has ticked along since – recording four straight wins – but finally has the platform and opponent to make a real mark. 

“Two years ago I headlined in America on DAZN and I gave a great account of myself and nothing’s come since. I’ve been very patient and I’ve kind of had to take what I could get and this is the most important fight of my career,” he said. “I’ve experienced in the past, if you take a loss, people forget about you so that’s something I’m not thinking about.

“I know how good I am and I know it’s a fight where I can really prove to people how good I am, yet again. Ortiz was just over two years ago. I got paid well and that year I could have been sat on a beach and enjoying it, but I got straight back into the gym.

“I didn’t want to close that year with a loss to Ortiz, so I managed to get out before the end of the year. I’ve managed to stay active. I boxed three times last year and stopped two of them so I’ve been forcing myself to stay active for the big fights.”

Mbenge is a classic, wide shouldered welterweight. He stands almost six feet tall and carries respectable power when he catches opponents at the end of his punches. 

Back in 2019, he lost a competitive decision to an at the time unbeaten Sebastian Formella in Hamburg. His only other defeat is a majority decision loss to the world ranked Souleymane Cissokho in France. 

Those defeats can be read in two ways. Has Mbenge fallen short whenever he has taken a genuine step up in class or has he been unfortunate to drop tight decisions in the home fighter’s backyard?

Time will tell but McKinson has known about the fight for some time and has had plenty of time to study Mbenge. He has no doubts about the difficulty of the task he faces but also knows that a win could kick down doors which have been stuck shut for some time. 

“I see him as the hardest opponent I’ve fought other than Ortiz. With this type of fight, I’m only one fight away from world name,” he said.

“You look down at the IBO champions and they’re all the elite names. They use that alongside the main belts. I see this as, win the IBO and I can get one of them big opportunities so, yes, it is exciting. I know it’s a very important job but I’ve been a pro for a long time and I’m very experienced.

“On October 19th, you’ll see the best version of me. Since Ortiz, I have improved.”

John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79