Stephen McKenna will fight Owen O'Neill on the undercard of Zuffa Boxing 10 in Dublin before joining the corner for his brother Aaron McKenna's IBF middleweight world title fight on Saturday. The event at the 3Arena marks the first professional fight on Irish soil for both brothers.
Unbeaten 27-year-old Aaron McKenna headlines the card against Etinosa Oliha for the vacant middleweight title. His 29-year-old brother Stephen will compete in a middleweight bout against O'Neill before taking on corner duties later in the evening.
"This is our big homecoming and big night of Irish boxing. It's going to be massive," Stephen McKenna said. "I want to be on the card because it's such a historic event, Aaron McKenna fighting for a world middleweight title. I want to be a part of it all."
Stephen added that his plan is to secure an early victory before supporting his younger brother. "I want to go in and get a knockout and then I want to be in the corner for my brother... That's my plan," he said.
Family Boxing History
The McKenna brothers have spent 22 years in boxing, training and sparring together while maintaining a close competitive rivalry. Their rivalry extends beyond boxing into casual pursuits like football and darts.
"We've been boxing 22 years. It's a long time," Stephen McKenna said. "We love the game. Every day of our lives, it's always been boxing. We've made a lot of sacrifices over the years. We've lived the life of a pure fighter."
"We train with each other... We've always been able to work with each other, sparring," Stephen said. "We're very competitive with each other. No matter what it is, football, darts, anything, we're always trying to get one better of each other."
Fighting Style and Ring Record
Although Saturday night focuses on Aaron McKenna's world title pursuit, Stephen McKenna declared himself one of the most exciting fighters in the world. He promised to live up to that reputation in his middleweight match against O'Neill.
"This night is all about Aaron McKenna..." Stephen said. "Sometimes I'm too exciting. My dad sometimes wants me to control myself, but sometimes I just can't help myself. I like entertaining people. I like giving value for money... I'm probably the most exciting of all the fighters in the world to watch."
"There's always something... fight-of-the-year contenders, round of the year. My last fight was only a minute. There was a lot happened in that minute. It will just be another typical Stevie McKenna performance," he said.
Stephen McKenna holds a record of 16 wins and one loss, with 15 knockouts. He is seeking his second win under Zuffa Boxing after defeating Casey Streeter in one round during his debut on the Chris Billam-Smith vs Ryan Rozicki undercard in June.
Potential Callum Walsh Fight
Looking beyond Saturday, Stephen McKenna is targeting a future bout against middleweight Callum Walsh, who is also fighting on the Dublin card. McKenna believes an all-Ireland matchup between them would draw massive interest from local boxing fans.
"I'm after the big fights..." Stephen said. "I would like a Callum Walsh sort of fight, a bigger fight. I want the biggest fights that's going to take me to the highest possible level."
"The Irish fans would go crazy for that one, especially after the momentum of August 8," Stephen added. "Aaron's going to become world champion, Callum Walsh is fighting on the bill, he gets the win, I get the win, it's going to be very exciting for all of Irish boxing. It's a real turn. It's going to be the start of a different level of fighting in Ireland."
Broadcast Details
Zuffa Boxing 10 will air live on Saturday on Sky Sports Action starting at 7pm UK time. Live coverage will also continue on Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm.
