"There were moments where I had to wait and trust the process, but never stopped working," Oliha (22-0, 10 KOs) told The Ring.

"I stayed in the gym, kept improving, and now the opportunity has arrived. I believe everything happens for a reason, and now it's my time."

Oliha, The Ring's No. 5 middleweight, is ready to make the most of his opportunity.

"This is what I've worked for my whole life," he said. "Aaron is a good fighter and I respect him, but I believe in myself and my abilities. I'm coming to Ireland to win and bring the IBF title back home."

The 28-year-old recognizes what McKenna brings to the table but believes his skill set will help him prevail on enemy terrain.

"Aaron is a good fighter and has his strengths, otherwise he wouldn't be in this position," he said. "We studied him with my team and know what he does well, but I'm not going to reveal our game plan.

"Every fighter has weaknesses, and on August 8 everyone will see what we have prepared."

Oliha got his break after impressing during sparring sessions in Germany, which saw him signed by AGON Sports and insists he hasn't made all this progress to fall short at the final hurdle.

"Winning this title would mean everything to me," he said. "It would be the result of years of sacrifice, discipline, and hard work. But at the same time, I see it as only the beginning. Becoming world champion would change my life, but also be a message to everyone that with faith, dedication, and perseverance, anything is possible."

Ingo Volckmann of AGON Sports originally thought his fighter would be facing Shakiel Thompson until the Englishman suffered an ninth-round knockout upset defeat by Brad Pauls on March 28.

That opened the door for McKenna, who will instead face Oliha.

"So, now we're fighting McKenna," he said. "The Irishman will be a tough opponent, no question about it. Etinosa will prepare well; we have excellent facilities and strong sparring partners. I'm very confident we'll win the fight."

McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) was a good amateur before heading stateside where he made his professional debut, aged 18, in December 2017.

After nine wins in America, he found himself fighting in the UK after the coronavirus pandemic. He beat Uisma Lima over 10 rounds in June 2023 before getting his big break when claiming the scalp of former 154-pound champion Liam Smith with a 12-round points win in April 2025 on the Chris Eubank-Conor Benn I undercard.