Angelo Leo faces Ra’eese Aleem on Saturday, May 9, at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The bout pits defending IBF featherweight champion Leo against No. 1–ranked contender Aleem.
Albuquerque’s Leo (26-1, 12 KOs) comes off a majority decision victory over Tomoki Kameda last May in Osaka, marking his first successful title defense. The 31-year-old claimed the belt in August 2024 to become a two-division world champion, dethroning Luis Alberto Lopez by 10th-round knockout.
In January, Angelo Leo was reported to possibly face Mexico’s WBO 126-pound champion Rafael Espinoza (28-0, 24 KOs) in a unification bout. That fight did not materialize, and he now faces Aleem (23-1, 12 KOs) of Muskegon, Michigan.
“A champion fights whoever, wherever,” Leo said. “This is a great opportunity for me to continue building my fan base. I believe in myself – I’ve been doing this since I was eight years old. Beating a top contender like Aleem solidifies that I’m the best in the division. Fans are going to see on May 9 that I have the ‘it factor.’ I’m an exciting fighter, I wear my heart on my sleeve, and when I show up, I show up to win.”
Aleem was last in action in November in Tokyo, where he defeated Mikito Nakano by unanimous decision to win an IBF featherweight title eliminator. Earlier in his career, the 35-year-old held the interim WBA super bantamweight title.
“I’ve bled too much and shed too many tears to be satisfied just being here,” Aleem said. “I’m coming to win this fight, become world champion, and defend my title. This isn’t about getting the opportunity – it’s about taking it. I want fans to walk away knowing Ra’eese ‘The Beast’ Aleem is the best in the division, and the new world champion.”
The event airs live on DAZN. Tickets go on sale this Friday via Ticketmaster.
The bouts featured on the Leo vs Aleem undercard are expected to be announced shortly.