Ra’eese Aleem will have promotional muscle behind his first career major title fight.
BoxingScene has confirmed that Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions secured promotional rights to Aleem’s mandatory challenge of IBF featherweight titlist Angelo Leo. MP Promotions ($227,100) outbid ProBox ($167,000) – Leo’s promoter – during a purse bid hearing conducted Tuesday from IBF headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey.
Neither a date nor location were immediately made available as this goes to publication. Final contracts are due by March 4 to validate the purse bid, with the fight required to take place no later than May 18.
Per IBF rules, Leo, 26-1 (12 KOs), is entitled to 65 percent of the winning bid as the defending titlist. That will result in a payday of $147,615 for the two-division titlist from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The remaining 35 percent ($79,485) will go to Aleem, 22-1 (12 KOs), as the mandatory challenger, though it is believed that his final purse will be more in line with his promotional contract guarantee with MP Promotions.
The development provides a strange plot twist for Leo, whose team actually pushed to get the mandatory out of the way in lieu of a guaranteed hometown headliner. Leo was previously due to face Lerato Dlamini on February 21 in Albuquerque.
As previously reported by BoxingScene, a decision was made on the Leo side to table those plans and instead next face Aleem.
The negotiation period provided for the mandatory title fight ended without a deal in place, which has clearly worked to MP Promotions’ advantage. The company has taken on a stronger presence in the U.S., including an upcoming show on February 28 in Verona, New York. The event will not include this fight, however.
Leo will attempt the second defense of the IBF 126lbs title he acquired in a highlight reel, 10th round knockout of Luis Alberto Lopez in August 2024 at home in Albuquerque. His most recent outing came on the home soil of his previous mandatory title challenger, Tomoki Kameda whom he outpointed last May 24 in Osaka, Japan.
The win extended Leo’s current six-fight win streak since he conceded the WBO 122lbs title to Stephen Fulton in their January 2021 battle between unbeaten boxers. His last five victories have come at featherweight since he returned to the sport in November 2023, under the ProBox TV promotional banner. [Note: ProBox TV and BoxingScene are both owned by Garry Jonas]
Aleem enters his first career title fight having won his last three starts.
The 35-year-old Las Vegas-based contender – originally from Muskegon, Michigan – turned around his career following a disappointing 2023 points loss to Sam Goodman in Broadbeach, Australia. A win would have put him on course to next challenge for the IBF 122lbs title.
Instead, he had to rebuild in an industry not always in a hurry to provide opportunities. He ultimately persevered, complete with his convincing decision win over previously unbeaten Mikito Nakano last November 24 in Tokyo. A 10th round knockdown paved the way for a spectacular finish by Aleem, who prevailed by scores of 115-112, 116-111 and 118-109 in their IBF title eliminator.
For the first time in years, Aleem is now in full control of his destiny – and in the biggest opportunity of his career to date.
