Angelo Leo vs. Lerato Dlamini | ProBox TV - February 21, 2026

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Angelo Leo vs Lerato Dlamini reportedly set for February 21st in Albuquerque

Angelo Leo’s homecoming title defense will pit him against skilled South African Lerato Dlamini on ProBox TV

Lance Pugmire reports that IBF featherweight champion Angelo Leo’s next title defense will see him face Lerato Dlamini atop a February 21st ProBox show in Leo’s hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Leo (26-1, 12 KO) spent 2.5 years on the sidelines before racking up four wins in a nine-month stretch, capped off by a shocking one-punch finish of Luis Alberto Lopez that just barely missed out on Knockout of the Year honors. He unfortunately hasn’t managed to keep that same pace in 2025; Kameda Promotions dragged their feet in staging his inaugural defense, which saw him edge out Tomoki Kameda in Osaka this past May, and he’s been effectively radio silent since.

Dlamini’s (21-3, 13 KO) career has been defined by close fights. He fell just short against Jazza Dickens in a 2022 bid for the IBO CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD, eked out a split decision over the aforementioned Kameda in an eliminator the following year, then lost another split decision in their rematch. He’s a solid operator, though promoters’ abject refusal to stage a featherweight unification gets more grating by the day.

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Angelo Leo nabs homecoming defense versus Lerato Dlamini

IBF featherweight champion Angelo Leo will defend his belt on February 21 in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on ProBoxTV, BS has learned.

Leo, 26-1 (12 KOs), will meet South Africa’s Lerato Dlamini, 21-3 (12 KOs), in Leo’s second defense since capturing the title in August 2024 by knocking out then-champion Luis Alberto Lopez in the 10th round.

Leo and Dlamini are both 31. Dlamini is the No. 8-ranked contender with the IBF.

The challenger engaged in two split-decisions with Japan’s Tomoki Kameda recently, winning the first in 2023, then losing the rematch last year.

By virtue of his triumph, Kameda, 42-5, landed a May title shot at Leo, losing in Osaka, Japan by majority decision.

The bout is the second championship fight to be staged on ProBoxTV after super-featherweight Lamont Roach Jnr successfully defended his belt last year.

ProBoxTV is also planning a high-profile March card in Southern California headlined by unbeaten super-middleweight contender Lester Martinez.

“We look forward to bringing another championship fight to this platform,” ProBoxTV Chairman Garry Jonas told BS of the Leo-topped card. “This is consistent with our promise to up our game.

“Angelo is excited to stage a title fight in front of his hometown, just like we’re excited to keep putting championship bouts on ProBox.”

Jonas also owns BS.

Leo has only lost to WBC featherweight champion Stephen Fulton, who is fighting for O’Shaquie Foster’s WBC super-featherweight belt December 6 in San Antonio.

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ANGELO LEO-LERATO DLAMINI SET FOR FEB. 21 IN IBF FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE DEFENCE

Six months after his first, Angelo Leo's second IBF featherweight world title defence is confirmed.

The 31-year-old two-division champion (26-1, 12 KOs) will have a homecoming of his own come February 21, when facing IBF's No. 8-rated contender Lerato Dlamini in Albuquerque, New Mexico at a venue to be announced.

Their world championship contest will top a ProBox TV show, per BS on Tuesday. The following month, they're planning a similarly high-profile show topped by unbeaten super-middleweight contender Lester Martinez now an immediate Christian Mbilli rematch will not be pursued.

Leo scored a 12-round majority decision win over former bantamweight beltholder Tomoki Kameda (42-5, 23 KOs) in the challenger's hometown of Osaka, Japan on May 24 and in the absence of unification opportunities, gets his voluntary defence among home comforts.

South Africa's Dlamini (21-3, 12 KOs) won and later lost a 12-round split decision against Kameda in their two-fight series, which the 34-year-old parlayed into an unsuccessful world title attempt. Now, the decade-long pro has a chance to upset the apple cart in a busy division with contenders and champions on their own path.

Later this month on November 24, Mikito Nakano (14-0, 13 KOs) faces Ra'eese Aleem (22-1, 12 KOs) in a title eliminator to determine Leo's next mandatory challenger on the Tenshin Nasukawa-Takuma Inoue undercard.

WBO beltholder Rafael Espinoza (27-0, 23 KOs) will make his fourth title defence against Arnold Khegai on Friday, while WBC titleholder Stephen Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs) seeks to become a three-weight world champion when facing O'Shaquie Foster on Dec. 6.

WBA champion Nick Ball (23-0-1, 13 KOs) is expected to return in February, with his trainer Paul Stevenson naming Leo as a potential unification option.

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Angelo Leo-Lerato Dlamini Off, IBF Mandatory Defence vs. Ra'eese Aleem Next Up

IBF featherweight world champion Angelo Leo will face No. 1-rated challenger Ra'eese Aleem next, rather than headline a Feb. 21 show in his Albuquerque hometown against Lerato Dlamini as first planned.

After a busy 2024 campaign that culminated in a surprise 10th-round knockout win over Luis Alberto Lopez, Leo (26-1, 12 KOs) has only boxed once this campaign as the 126-pound division has largely been stagnant among the elite.

As reported by Boxing Scene on Saturday, plans for Leo-Dlamini are now on pause with the fight potentially being revisited later next year - assuming the 31-year-old is successful against a fellow Vegas resident with the wind in his sails.

Aleem (23-1, 12 KOs) lost his perfect record away from home with a 12-round split decision defeat by recent WBA world title challenger Sam Goodman on the Gold Coast in Broadbeach, Australia in June 2023 but has pitched a trio of points victories since.

The 35-year-old most recently outsmarted 14-0 local pro Mikito Nakano on the Takuma Inoue-Tenshin Nasukawa undercard in Tokyo, Japan last month.

That was made an IBF final eliminator for Leo's belt the month prior, with the timeline to complete a voluntary defence difficult before the sanctioning body would've summoned the champion into another mandatory. He's kept busy over the festive period posting training videos and working in Vegas, readying for a bigger and better year to come in 2026.

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Less than 2 weeks

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Oh this is off