Austin “Ammo” Williams will enter fight week on the hunt for a new opponent.
BoxingScene has learned that Etinosa Oliha is no longer able to move forward with an IBF-ordered middleweight title eliminator with Williams. An issue with Oliha's eye examination during the pre-fight medical process forced his removal from Saturday’s DAZN show from The Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.
Two sources involved with the card have informed BoxingScene that a new opponent is being sought for Williams, 18-1 (12 KOs). One candidate for the assignment is The Bronx’s Ismael Villarreal, 15-3 (11 KOs), though nothing was finalized as this goes to publication.
BoxingScene has additionally learned that Oliha has already taken steps for the discovered injury to heal and is expected to be cleared to box within the next two or so weeks.
Italy’s Oliha, 21-0 (9 KOs) is the current number-one rated IBF middleweight contender. The 27-year-old was due to make his U.S. debut with the fight, as well as his first career fight outside of Europe.
Matchroom Boxing outbid AGON Sports & Events for the promotional rights to the fight. It is not immediately clear when the bout will be rescheduled. The winner would have become the mandatory challenger to Janibek Alimkhanuly, 16-0 (11 KOs), who is free to take a voluntary defense but not currently scheduled for any fight.
For now, it will be Williams who gets to move forward with his career.
The 28-year-old Milwaukee-bred, Houston-based contender has won two in a row since an 11th-round stoppage defeat to Hamzah Sheeraz, 22-0-1 (18 KOs) last June in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In his most recent contest, Williams outpointed Patrice Volny atop aMarch 15 DAZN show from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Olhia’s medical scratch continues a run of bad luck this year, He was due to face Kyrone Davis, 19-3-1 (6 KOs) earlier this year in a previously ordered IBF title eliminator.
The two sides previously reached an agreement for a fight to have taken place in the spring in Italy. Davis fights under the banner of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), whose handlers sought to have the fight relocated to the United States, which proved enough for the IBF to no longer consider Davis as eligible for the fight.
That development, in turn, opened the door for Williams. The fight with Oliha was ordered just days after win over Volny.
Oliha moved into contention after a third-round knockout of Alexander Pavlov in September 2024 at AGON Sportspark in Charlottenburg, Germany. That was the fifth consecutive fight in Germany for Oliha, given AGON’s home base. However, the plan was to return to Italy for the final elimination bout had the Davis fight moved forward.
Instead, his first road trip ends – for now – without anything to show for it.
The balance of the show remains intact, including the headliner between lineal and WBC 115lbs champ Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, 21-0 (14 KOs) and WBO titleholder Phumulele Cafu, 11-0-3 (8 KOs). In addition to the high-stakes unification bout, a win by Rodriguez will lead to an already announced showdown with WBA 115lbs titlist Fernando Martinez on May 22 in Riyadh.