But the silence has been deafening from the more established names in the division when it comes to the undefeated 27-year-old from Monaghan, Ireland.

Now 16 months on from that victory over Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs), Los Angeles-based McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) gets the chance to pull up a table at the middleweight head table as he faces fellow unbeaten contender Etinosa Oliha (22-0, 10 KOs) for the IBF title.

The belt has been vacant since March when the IBF decided to strip its champion, Janibek Alimkhanuly, after he tested positive for the banned substance Meldonium. Shortly after that decision, Mckenna, The Ring’s No. 6-rated middleweight, and No. 5 Oliha were ordered to fight for the strap.

Now the pair will clash at Dublin’s 3Arena in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 10, the organization’s first ever event in Ireland. Having left his home country to train in Los Angeles as a teenager, this fight will also be McKenna’s first fight in Ireland.

But Oliha, who had his first 14 fights in his native Italy before his last six in Germany, is out to spoil McKenna’s homecoming.

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Aaron McKenna: “It's something I've been dreaming of since I started boxing at 6 years old. To finally get a fight for the world title and for it to be in Ireland makes it extra special. I have goosebumps just thinking about fighting in there with that Irish atmosphere. I've been boxing for 20 years, and it's all going to come down to this night."

Etinosa Oliha: “The atmosphere is not going to bother me, because in the ring it’s going to be just me and him. I don’t think he can match my work-rate, I’m an all-rounder boxer, so anything he brings will not be new to me. I will win this fight, and I will hurt him.”

McKenna has been made a clear favorite with most bookmakers pricing him between -300 and -500 to win. Meanwhile, visiting underdog Oliha is as wide as +333, while the draw is +1800.

McKenna is not the only U.S.-based Irishman hoping to make an impression back on home soil as fellow middleweight Callum Walsh is also in action at 3Arena. The Cork-born southpaw, who lives in Ventura, California, faces England’s Tyler Denny, another lefty, over 10 rounds in the co-feature. Walsh (16-0, 11 KOs) has barely put a foot wrong since turning pro in 2021, but the ever-awkward Denny (21-4-3, 1 KO), the former European middleweight champion, will ask him new questions.

3Arena, Dublin

Coverage will start on Sky Sports Action from 7 p.m. and on Sky Sports Main Event from 8 p.m. The main portion of the card will be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S starting at 2 p.m. ET.