Jaron Ennis will defend his IBF welterweight title against Karen Chukhadzhian on Saturday, November 9, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
The two fighters are familiar with each other. They met in January 2023 when Ennis won a unanimous decision, taking every round on the scorecards. That fight was for the IBF interim belt, but Ennis has since been elevated to full world champion status.
'Boots' got the upgrade after Terence Crawford was stripped of the belt. Crawford couldn't fulfil his mandatory defense due to a planned rematch with Errol Spence Jr., which never happened.
Ennis made his first title defense in July against David Avanesyan. He stopped Avanesyan after five rounds, keeping his perfect record intact at 32-0.
Some fans aren't happy about Ennis fighting Chukhadzhian again. The first fight was one-sided, and many want to see Ennis take on a big name or move up to super-welterweight.
One potential opponent at 154 lbs is Vergil Ortiz. The undefeated fighter (22-0, 21 KOs) holds the WBC Interim super-welterweight title. Eddie Hearn, Ennis' promoter, talked about a possible fight between the two. In an interview with iFL TV, Hearn said:
"The one thing that has been discussed potentially, not really for the February card, is 'Boots' against Ortiz, it has been mentioned before, we would take that fight in a heartbeat."
Ortiz's name has also come up as a potential opponent for Terence Crawford. For now, though, Ennis will focus on his upcoming title defense against Chukhadzhian.