Jaron Ennis, one of boxing's rising stars, looks to step up his game to prove the hype is real. The 26-year-old faces his toughest opponent to date in Roiman Villa on July 8.
Ennis defends the interim IBF welterweight title from inside Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The fight airs on Showtime in the U.S..
A 2014 silver and 2015 gold medalist at the Golden Gloves Championships, Ennis turned pro in 2016. "Boots" has been hyped up as the future of boxing and first proved his value in April 2021 when he beat Sergey Lipinets via knockout. He followed that up with a knockout win against Thomas Dulorme and Custio Clayton.
Ennis last fought in January, beating Karen Chukhadzhian to become the interim IBF champion. With Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford fighting one another later this year for undisputed gold, Ennis may finally be closer than ever to facing one of the two top fighters in the world.
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"I'm excited to be fighting in the main event, and I can't wait to get in the ring," said Ennis. "I know Villa is a straightforward fighter, and that's tailor-made for me. I'm going to win because I've been putting in the work, day in and day out. All my hard work will show on fight night. I'm ready to shine and make a big statement on July 8. My time is now!"
Villa turned pro in 2015. His run of 19 straight wins via knockout ended in 2022. The 30-year-old Colombian last fought in January, beating Rashidi Ellis via majority decision.
"I'm very thankful to my team for this life-changing opportunity," said Villa. "Rashidi Ellis underestimated me before our last fight, so I knew I was going to win and go on to face Ennis. In order to be the best, you have to fight the best fighters. On July 8, I'm going to score another upset and ruin another undefeated record."
Here's all you need to know so far about Ennis and Villa, from time, channel, odds, and card information.
When is Jaron Ennis vs. Roiman Villa?
Jaron Ennis vs. Roiman Villa is on July 8. The main card starts at 9:30 p.m. ET or 6:30 p.m. PT. The main event fighters should make their way to the ring around 11:30 p.m. ET or 9:30 p.m. PT, depending on how long the undercard fights last. Here's how that translates to different timezones globally:
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| Region | Date | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Saturday, July 8 | 9:30 p.m. ET | 11:30 p.m ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Saturday, July 8 | 6:30 p.m. ET | 9:30 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sunday, July 9 | 2:30 a.m. BST | 5:30 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sunday, July 9 | 11:30 a.m. AEST | 2:30 p.m. AEST |
How to watch Jaron Ennis vs. Roiman Villa?
| Region | TV channel | Live streaming |
| USA | Showtime | — |
| Canada | — | TBA |
| UK and Ireland | — | TBA |
| Australia | — | TBA |
Ennis vs. Villa will be on Showtime in the U.S..
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Viewers can stream Showtime via Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Xbox ONE, a laptop, or any mobile or tablet device.
Where is Jaron Ennis vs. Roiman Villa?
Ennis vs. Villa is inside Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. On the Atlantic City boardwalk, the building can hold up to 10,500 people.
Jaron Ennis vs. Roiman Villa betting odds
In Canada, per Sports Interaction, Jaron Ennis is the -1013 favorite, while Romain Villa is the +604 underdog.
Jaron Ennis record, bio
- Nationality: American
- Born: June 26, 1997
- Height: 5-10
- Reach: 74 inches
- Total fights: 30
- Record: 30-0 with 27 wins via knockout
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Roiman Villa record, bio
- Nationality: Colombian
- Born: April 29, 1993
- Height: 5-7
- Reach: 70 inches
- Total fights: 27
- Record: 26-1 with 24 wins via knockout
Jaron Ennis vs. Roiman Villa fight card
- Jaron Ennis (c) vs. Roiman Villa for the interim IBF welterweight title
- Yoelvis Gomez vs. Marquis Taylor; Middleweights
- Edwin De Los Santos vs. Joseph Adorno; Lightweights