The 27-year-old Limerick man is the mandatory challenger for Liam Paro’s 147-pound title but rather than waiting on the sidelines for a date, he took the opportunity to stay fit and busy. Donovan impressed a large crowd with an impressive display of efficient punch picking.

The crowd-pleasing McKenna is some way past his best but nonetheless a hard, proud man who knew that he needed to drag Donovan into a fight to have any chance of springing a monumental upset.

Donovan (16-2, 12 KOs) never gave him even a glimmer of hope and spent the best part of four rounds picking the 36-year-old Belfast man apart until the ringside doctor deemed a cut over McKenna’s right eye serious enough to end matters.

“What a performance, an amazing night here in Croke Park. It needed a fitting performance and I gave the fans exactly what they wanted which was a great win. Andy Lee’s style of fighting, nice and composed, relaxed and I got the job done in good style,” a delighted Donovan told DAZN after the fight.

Now, Donovan can focus on a second challenge for the IBF welterweight title.

In September 2025 he entered a vacant title fight with old rival Lewis Crocker as a sizeable betting favorite, though was surprisingly dropped twice and outpointed at Windsor Park in Belfast.

Despite the loss, Donovan retained a high ranking with the IBF and in May, he traveled to Germany and beat Karen Chukhadzhian over 12 competitive rounds to become the sanctioning body's new mandatory challenger.

The following month, Australia’s Paro impressively fought his way to a decision win over Crocker in becoming a new titleholder at 147 pounds.

It is widely expected that Paro will first make a voluntary defense of his newly-won title but whoever he ends up fighting, Donovan is supremely confident that this time, he will get the job done.

“Yeah, you can see every performance under Andy Lee's guidance and my team, I'm getting better and better ... I feel like now is the time for me to become a world champion. Liam Paro has the belt and I want it," he said.

“I'm ready to fight anybody. I've earned my stripes to become a world champion, so let's have it. Let's make the fight happen."

Paro’s team pushed out the boat to secure their man home advantage for his fight with Crocker and it would come as no surprise if Donovan also had a long journey to Australia for a potential showdown.

“No problem,” Donovan replied when that was put to him.

“I’m confident of beating any single welterweight in the world. Right now, I'm coming to fire and have come into form, so let's bring it on. Anywhere, any place, anytime.”