Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn is more than earning his money as a promoter as he has gone on to paint Jaron Ennis’ (34-0, 30 KO’s) future opponent ― Uisma Lima (14-1, 10 KO’s) from Angola ― as one of the most dangerous contenders in the division.
The claim can be perceived as dubious given Lima is still unproven as a fighter, with his first loss having come against the only top 10 opponent he’s faced ― Irish middleweight (160 lbs) contender Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KO’s) who was arguably not yet a top contender when the two fought in 2023.
Currently in grasp of the IBO super welterweight (154 lbs) title, Lima will be facing Jaron Ennis on October 11th and has been illustrated as a true test for Ennis as he is set to make his 154-pound debut in his hometown of Philadelphia.
“He’s [Uisma Lima] a f****** dangerous man. Dangerous man,” Eddie Hearn maintained during an interview with Boxing Social.
“If you know, anybody that knows this guy will tell you he’s a seriously dangerous fighter. He had one loss [against Aaron McKenna] on a fight he took on 4-or 5 days’ notice, like [he] wasn’t even in the gym. And since then, he’s been going around fighting all these prospects and beating them in their backyard.
“He’s better, in my opinion, than every fighter that we offered the fight to, which was Serhii Bohachuk, Brian Mendoza, Rashidi Ellis, Josh Kelly, Ramos ― both Ramoses [Albert and Jesus Ramos].“
Eddie Hearn would further mention American contender Charles Conwell (21-1, 16 KO’s) as having been negotiated with, and claimed that Lima would beat all the potential opponents he named for Jaron Ennis ― an assertion that seems ironic given Lima’s lack of experience suggests him being arguably the weakest link of all the fighters Hearn named.
In regards to a future expected match-up between Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr (23-0, 21 KO’s), facing the likes of Ukrainian contender Serhii Bohachuk (26-2, 24 KO’s) would seem a better measuring stick given Bohachuk’s fight with Ortiz last year was resoundingly close and competitive, yet Hearn adamantly construed Lima as an opponent better than even Bohachuk.
Lima, 32, holds several notable wins over unbeaten fighters and further has experience fighting bigger opponents at middleweight, presenting several obstacles for Ennis with his southpaw stance and familiarity with being an away fighter. Mentally, Lima has already demonstrated plenty of toughness but with his ability still in question, his upcoming bout with Jaron Ennis seems unlikely to become a banana slip for the American fighter.
Still, expectations surround Ennis who will be heading into his October 11th bout as the heavy hometown favorite and will be expecting to record a showcase victory.
