Uldedaj Risks IBO Belt in Tirana, Caparello Eyes Two-Division World Title

Juergen Uldedaj is finally bringing his IBO cruiserweight world title to his homeland, Albania. On October 23, the 30-something boxer will defend his belt against a tough Australian challenger, Blake Caparello, at Feti Borova Olympic Park in Tirana. The bout is promoted by SES Boxing/Blanko Sports in cooperation with Crown Boxing International, and marks a historic moment as Albania hosts an international world title fight for the first time.

Uldedaj, who holds a 22-1-0 record, is no ordinary boxer. He began his professional career in Germany in 2015 and has collected titles from four major world boxing bodies: WBO Youth, WBC Youth, WBA Continental, and IBF International. The peak came in October 2025 when he captured the IBO cruiserweight belt in London, in front of 10,000 spectators at the O2 Arena. Since then, he successfully defended the title at Wembley Arena last May. Now, after more than a decade of campaigning abroad, Uldedaj returns home as a world champion.

"I am happy to finally be back in Tirana to defend my world title. Blake Caparello is coming to Albania to take my belt, but he made the wrong decision. I am the champion – this is my time, my territory, and my title," Uldedaj said in an official statement.

On the other side, Caparello is not an opponent to be underestimated. The boxer nicknamed "Il Capo" holds a 34-4-1 record and was the IBO light heavyweight world champion in 2013. He has also shared the ring with big names such as Sergey Kovalev and Andre Dirrell. Interestingly, Caparello once shattered the dreams of another Albanian boxer, Elvir Muriqi, in 2014 in the United States. Now he comes to Tirana with a similar mission: to derail Albania's ambitions and claim a second title in a different division.

"Juergen deserves to hold the world champion title, congratulations, Champ. But he has never faced a boxer of my caliber. I have been in with world-class fighters and that experience will show during the fight. I won my first IBO title in October 2013 and 13 years later I will claim my second IBO title. I am very happy in the gym, we will come out victorious on October 23," Caparello asserted.

Caparello's promoter, Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing, believes his fighter is ready for the pressure of performing in hostile territory. "Blake is a former IBO light heavyweight world champion, and he is excited to get the opportunity to become a two-division world champion by challenging Juergen Uldedaj. He understands the significance of going to Tirana to face the defending champion in his own country and is fully committed to making the most of this opportunity," DeGuardia said.

Meanwhile, CEO of SES Boxing and Blanko Sports Holding, Benedikt Poelchau, called the fight the biggest ever for Albania. "This is the most significant international fight ever staged in Albania and on October 23 the eyes of the boxing world will be on Tirana. After fighting on Europe's biggest stages, it has always been Juergen's dream to bring a world title fight back to his country. Against Caparello, Juergen faces not only the biggest name of his career but also his toughest and most experienced challenger," he said.

SES Boxing founder Ulf Steinforth added that Uldedaj's journey from a four-round debutant to an elite 12-round fighter is something special. "We built Juergen from the ground up. Eight years ago, we brought his WBO Youth title fight to Tirana and now he returns for the first time since then – this time as IBO world champion. Watching his journey is something special for me. Juergen deserves this moment," Steinforth said.

For the Indonesian public, this fight can be a valuable lesson in how a developing country builds a professional boxing ecosystem. Albania, a small Balkan nation with a population of around 2.8 million, has managed to draw the attention of the international boxing world through private promoter investment and television broadcast support. Indonesia itself has a large boxing fan base, but rarely hosts world title fights. Albania's success in staging an event of this caliber could serve as an example that with the right promoter management, a Southeast Asian country can also host prestigious international bouts.

From a business perspective, the fight also shows a shift in the global boxing landscape. If world titles were once always synonymous with Las Vegas, London, or New York, now cities like Tirana are starting to attract attention. SES Boxing, which has promoted more than 200 events over 25 years, sees new market potential in Eastern Europe. This opens opportunities for boxers from non-traditional countries to appear on the world stage without always having to fight abroad.

DIGITALB and Klan Kosova television will broadcast the fight across Albania and Kosovo. Other international broadcast partners will be announced closer to fight day. With all the preparations in place, the big question remains: will Uldedaj successfully defend his title in front of his own supporters, or will Caparello once again become a nightmare for Albanian boxing as he did 12 years ago?