Angelo Leo will proceed with a mandatory defense of his IBF featherweight title against No. 1 contender Ra’eese Aleem, postponing plans for a voluntary bout against Lerato Dlamini.
Leo had been expected to defend his title against Dlamini on February 21 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. That bout is now on hold, with the possibility it could be revisited later in the year.
The mandatory defense follows Leo’s first successful title defense, a majority decision win over Tomoki Kameda on May 24 in Osaka, Japan. Kameda had previously earned his title opportunity by defeating Dlamini in an IBF eliminator.
Aleem enters the fight on a three-bout winning streak since a June 2023 loss to Sam Goodman. His most recent victory came on November 24, when he outboxed Mikito Nakano over 12 rounds in an IBF final eliminator in Tokyo.
The timing left little room for Leo to complete a voluntary defense before the IBF enforced the mandatory obligation.
Leo won the IBF featherweight title last August with a 10th-round knockout of Luis Alberto Lopez in Albuquerque. The win marked his sixth consecutive victory since a January 2023 loss to Stephen Fulton. Since late 2023, Leo has competed regularly after signing with ProBox TV, a run that has also led to a working relationship with Top Rank.
The development was first reported by BoxingScene.
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Related Boxing News:
Last Updated on 12/27/2025
