LOS ANGELES — Nigeria-born heavyweight contender Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh (15-2-1, 13 KOs) is preparing for the biggest opportunity of his boxing career as he readies himself in Phoenix for a January 31 showdown with Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (26-1-2, 22 KOs).
The bout will take place on the loaded “The Ring VI” card at Madison Square Garden in New York City — boxing’s most storied arena — and will stream live worldwide on DAZN.
The event is headlined by a world lightweight title clash between Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) and undefeated champion Shakur Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), placing Ibeh squarely under the brightest lights of his career.
Ibeh’s road to Madison Square Garden has been anything but conventional. A former college football lineman at Washington University (Topeka, KS) and a professional player in the Canadian Football League, Ibeh transitioned into boxing with raw athleticism but limited ring experience.
That lack of seasoning was exposed on February 23, 2021, when he faced blue-chip prospect Jared Anderson (then 7-0, now 18-1) in Las Vegas. Despite both fighters entering the bout with identical professional records, the gap in amateur pedigree proved decisive.
“I lost the fight (KO6) with Anderson before I went into the ring,” Ibeh explained. “I was inexperienced, especially compared to his (amateur) background. I was in pursuit of greatness, but was only in my eighth fight after turning pro. I lost because I didn’t give myself time to grow. I learned that boxing is more mental than physical.”
At the time, Anderson was widely regarded as one of the best amateur heavyweights in the world, having captured back-to-back USA National Championships in 2017 and 2018.
Learning Through Loss
Ibeh’s early professional journey was marked by adversity. He lost his pro debut and later fought unbeaten Italian heavyweight Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello (then 7-0) to a six-round majority draw in his seventh fight.
Rather than derail his progress, those setbacks became the foundation for his development.
“I got better from my losses and draw,” Ibeh admitted. “I have a football nature to win or win — not losing — by learning from every fight, even a loss, as long as I had fought my best. What I’ve improved the most is in angles. I don’t want my opponent to see my punches coming.”
“Now, I understand the game; it’s not all physical and more like a chess match. I’m also more confident because I know what to do. I even like getting hit, going to toe-to-toe, because blood gets me going. It gets me excited…even if it’s my own. I know it only takes one punch to land for it to cost me a fight.”
A Champion Still Chasing Recognition
Today, Anderson is ranked No. 5 by the IBF and WBO, while Vianello sits inside the top 15 of both the IBF and WBC. Ibeh, meanwhile, has rebuilt his career the hard way.
He enters the Miller fight riding an 11-fight winning streak, including 10 knockouts, and currently holds the WBC FECARBOX Heavyweight Championship. Despite his momentum, the highest world ranking he holds is No. 30 with the WBC.
According to international matchmaker Whit Haydon, that ranking fails to reflect the fighter Ibeh has become.
“Kingsley isn’t the same fighter who fought Anderson at MGM Grand (in Las Vegas),” Haydon said. “Ibeh took a tough fight. The media and fans are always complaining about fighters picking-and-choosing their hand-picked opponents, but when a fighter takes a tough fight like Kingsley did and loses, you get punished into a long rebuild.”
“Ibeh was relatively new to boxing in 2020; he was a football player. It took five long years for him to get here, and Ibeh’s plan is to leave the Big Apple as a star.”
On January 31, against one of the most recognizable names in the heavyweight division, Kingsley Ibeh gets the chance to prove that his evolution is complete — and that Madison Square Garden is ready for the rise of “The Black Lion.
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, and Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and is also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer. He’s also the main photographer for the 4CornersMafia Car Club.
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