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Atif Oberlton To Face Deon Nicholson
On Nov. 7 From Albuquerque, NM
Undefeated light heavyweight contender Atif Oberlton will
face Deon Nicholson in a matchup of hard-hitting
175-pounders on Saturday, Nov. 7 live exclusively on DAZN
from Albuquerque. The 10-round showdown will serve as the
co-main event to Abraham Perez’s homecoming title defense
against Yankiel Rivera at Kiva Auditorium.
Philadelphia’s Oberlton (17-0, 14 KOs) is ranked in the top
15 by all four major sanctioning bodies and placed in top 10
by both the IBF and WBA. He scored a shutout unanimous
decision over Roamer Alexis Angulo on the Claressa Shields
undercard on Aug. 15, going the distance for the first time
since 2024 after knocking out eight straight opponents. The
28-year-old southpaw, who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer
Tom Yankello Jr., will face his toughest opponent to date in
Nicholson, a fellow power-puncher who was previously
scheduled to face former undisputed champion Artur
Beterbiev. The 6-foot-3 Oberlton looks to make a statement
against Nicholson to prove he belongs amongst the world’s
top light heavyweights, with an eye toward bouts against
Dmitry Bivol, Ben Whitaker and the other top 175-pounders in
the wide-open division.
“My focus is the same as it’s always been, but every fight
is another step up,” Oberlton said. “Going 10 rounds for the
first time in my last fight gave me even more confidence.
Nicholson doesn’t present anything I feel I can’t handle.
Every fight is a step up and beating him on November 7 will
keep me climbing the light heavyweight division and moving
closer to a world title shot. I’m coming to show why my name
belongs with the best.
“Since signing with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records, I’ve
been active, and that’s exactly where I wanted to be. Having
that support pushes me to keep getting better because I know
what we’re working toward. I always knew the time would come
for the world to see who Atif Oberlton really is. Nicholson
is the next step, and I’m coming to put myself one step
closer to a world title shot.”
Nicholson (23-1, 19 KO), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., is a
power-punching product of Jay Deas, the original and
long-time trainer of former heavyweight champion Deontay
Wilder in Tuscaloosa. Nicholson was scheduled to fight
Arthur Beterbiev on a Riyadh Season card in Saudi Arabia in
November of 2025 before Beterbiev reportedly pulled out of
the fight. The 36-year-old has knockouts in six of his last
nine fights, and owns a career-best win over Craig Baker,
who had previously fought Edwin Rodriguez and Oleksandr
Gvozdyk.
“This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for,” Nicholson
said. “I’ve been in camp, ready to fight, and I’m already in
shape. This win will put the boxing world on notice that I
deserve the biggest opportunities.”
Said promoter Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita
Promotions: “Atif Olberlton is one of the best light
heavyweights in the world, with a unique style, a standout
personality and a burning desire to become a world champion.
Representing the historic fight city of Philadelphia, he is
ready to join boxing’s elite with a statement performance
against the hard-hitting Deon Nicholson on Nov. 7.”
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