Manny Pacquiao Promotions, Aleem’s promotional outfit, made the winning bid Tuesday for his mandatory title bout against IBF featherweight champion Angelo Leo. ProBox, Leo’s promoter, was outbid $227,100 to $167,000. The Ring’s No. 2 126-pounder will have to go on the road to defend his belt. MP Promotions has 90 days to announce a date and location for their matchup, according to the IBF. In terms of the financial splits, Leo is entitled to 65 percent of the pot, while Aleem (23-1, 12 KOs) will take home the remaining 35 percent. Aleem, ranked No. 9 by The Ring and No. 1 by the IBF, fought hard to get into this position. The 35-year-old has won three consecutive fights since losing to Sam Goodman via split decision in 2023. In 2025, Aleem beat Rudy Garcia and Mikito Nakano by unanimous decision to solidify his ranking. As for Leo, the 31-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, successfully defended his strap against Tomoki Kameda on December 7 in Osaka, Japan, by majority decision. Leo (26-1, 12 KOs) was initially hoping to be involved in a unification bout with one of his fellow featherweight champions.