ZUFFA Boxing 10 adds Joe Ward and Connor Coyle to stacked Dublin card

Joe Ward and Connor Coyle have been added to the ZUFFA Boxing 10 card in Dublin, joining Aaron McKenna, Callum Walsh and a host of unbeaten prospects for a stacked night of boxing at the 3Arena on August 8.

ZUFFA Boxing 10 is continuing to build its Dublin card with Irish talent, as former Olympian Joe Ward and unbeaten middleweight Connor Coyle have both been confirmed for the August 8 event at the 3Arena.

Already announced for the card, the main event will see fellow Irishman Aaron McKenna take on Italy’s Etinosa Oliha for the IBF World Middleweight Championship.

The unbeaten ‘King’ Callum Walsh will also return to the ring to face Tyler Denny in a ten-round middleweight contest, one of the toughest tests of the Irishman’s career to date.

Joe Ward returns in key light heavyweight clash

Featuring on the main card in a ten-round light heavyweight battle, Joe Ward will take on the undefeated Artjom Kasparian, who will be searching for an upset victory by handing the Irishman just the second defeat of his professional career.

Ward has been on a tear since suffering the only loss of his 12-1 professional career on his debut back in 2019.

Coming off a 22-month layoff, Ward will be looking to add a ninth knockout victory to his record against Kasparian.

Last time out in October 2024, Ward picked apart Dmytro Fedas across six rounds before the Ukrainian corner withdrew their man at the start of the seventh.

Born in Russia, Kasparian spent much of his life growing up in the Netherlands before settling in Altrincham in the north west of England, where he has compiled an unbeaten 14-0 professional record.

Twelve of those victories have come by knockout, including each of his last seven, making him a dangerous test for Ward's return.

Connor Coyle returns to Dublin

Also added to the card is unbeaten middleweight Connor Coyle, who will make his first appearance in Dublin since 2017 when he takes on American Mark Beuke in a ten-round contest.

Coyle has spent much of his professional career fighting in the United States, where he has compiled an unbeaten 22-0 record.

His opponent, Beuke, has already shown his ability to upset the odds under the ZUFFA boxing banner after securing a split decision victory over Antonio Woods earlier this year at ZUFFA Boxing 03.

With a 13-3 record, another upset victory for Beuke could open the door to bigger opportunities and further establish the American as a fighter to watch.

Irish prospects strengthen the undercard

Further down the card, 20-year-old Irish-American cruiserweight Patrick O’Connor will take on Ibrahim Mercan.

With more than 200 amateur fights and 11 national championships to his name, O’Connor turned professional and has enjoyed a perfect start to his career.

The youngster currently holds a 3-0 record, with all three victories coming by knockout.

Mercan holds a professional record of 6-0-1. His last outing came more than 12 months ago, when he earned a points victory over Harry Matthews across four rounds.

Also featuring on the preliminary card is another member of the McKenna family, as Stevie McKenna will face fellow Irishman Owen O’Neill in an eight-round contest.

The older brother of main event fighter Aaron McKenna enters the bout with a record of 16-1, with an impressive 15 victories coming by way of knockout.

Known for his aggressive style and power inside the ring, the 29-year-old will look to continue building momentum with ZUFFA.

Another impressive talent featuring on the card is Scotland’s Sam Hickey, who returns following an eye-catching knockout victory at ZUFFA Boxing 07 in Bournemouth.

The unbeaten 5-0 middleweight prospect will take on Brad Axe over eight rounds as he looks to continue building momentum with ZUFFA.

Hickey made a statement in his last appearance, earning Performance of the Night honours, and will now continue his development against an opponent with a winning record of his own.

With a mixture of established Irish names, unbeaten prospects and competitive matchups throughout the night, ZUFFA Boxing 10 is shaping up to be a major night for boxing in Ireland.

Headlined by a world title fight and packed with fighters looking to make their mark on home soil, August 8 presents another major opportunity for Ireland’s next generation of boxing talent to showcase themselves on the global stage.

Henry Elwell

Henry Elwell is a sports writer based in Lincoln, UK, specialising in combat sports coverage across both boxing and mixed martial arts. Alongside his writing, Henry has gained experience presenting boxing events, attending press conferences and hosting media events, building a broad range of skills during his time at the University of Lincoln. He also played a key role in the University of Lincoln's coverage of Lincoln City F.C. during the club's title-winning 2025/26 campaign. His work included writing match reports and feature articles, as well as interviewing the team's manager and numerous first-team players.