Jaron Ennis


Jaron Ennis is an American professional boxer. He previously held the International Boxing Federation welterweight title from 2023 to 2025, and the World Boxing Association and Ring magazine welterweight titles in 2025. As an amateur, he won a silver and gold medal at the U.S. National Golden Gloves Championships in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Professional career

Early career

Ennis made his professional debut on April 30, 2016, defeating Cory Muldrew via first-round knockout at the Dixie Center in St. George, Utah. He fought a further seven times in 2016, scoring four consecutive stoppage wins over Luis Ramos in May; Deshawn Debose in June; Tavorus Teague in July; and Matt Murphy in August. Ennis went the distance for the first time in September, defeating Eddie Diaz by unanimous decision in a scheduled four-round bout. He saw out the year with two more stoppage wins over Chris Alexander in November and Marcus Beckford in December.
He began 2017 with a first-round KO victory over Elvin Perez in January, followed by the second decision win of his career; a UD against James Winchester in March. Ennis had a further seven fights in 2017, winning all seven by stoppage; Eduardo Flores in May; Wilfredo Acuña and Robert Hill in June; Ricardo Cano in August; Lionel Jiménez in September; Ayi Bruce in October; and George Sosa in December.
Across the following 3 years, Ennis would go on to accumulate 9 more victories. All 9 of those said victories coming within the distance.
He took on and defeated fighters Gustavo Garibay, Samuel Amoako, Mike Arnaoutis, Armando Alvarez, and Raymond Serrano in the year 2018.
Throughout the year 2019, he fought and felled fighters Franklin Mamani in August and Damian Fernandez in October.
And in 2020, he easily dispatched Bakhtiyar Eyubov in January and Juan Carlos Abreu in September.
Ennis had one last fight in 2020 and it was up against former IBO welterweight champion South-African boxer Chris "The Heat" van Heerden. Their scheduled 12-round bout took place on 19 December at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S. and it was for the then-vacant IBO welterweight title.
Despite the early action in the first round seemingly entailing another knockout victory for the Philly-native, an accidental clash of heads opened a terrible gash on the forehead of Van Heerden which made him bleed profusely. Seeing the cut was severe, the referee stepped in and waved off the fight which consequently resulted in it being considered a No-Contest.

Rise up the ranks

Ennis vs. Lipinets

Five months on and undisturbed by the No-Contest smearing his record, Ennis faced the former IBF light-welterweight champion Sergey "Samurai" Lipinets on 10 April 2021, at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
Early on, Ennis utilized a superior jab that kept Lipinets at bay and allowed him to keep fighting from a comfortable distance. And whenever Lipinets tried to close the gap by pressuring forward with a tight high-guard, Ennis simply made use of his footwork to pivot out of the way of danger. In key moments, Lipinets did manage to close in on Ennis and hammer away at his body with hooks and uppercuts and even land a few flush right hands on Ennis' jaw. However, Ennis' defensive acumen and proven-sturdy chin negated Lipinets' smattering offensive success and would counter the constantly pressuring Kazakh boxer more and more as the rounds went on. And the end came in the sixth round when Boots, from the southpaw stance, landed a thudding lead right-hook to the Samurai's temple and followed that up by a wicked left uppercut to his jaw that left him flat on his back on the canvas. The referee saw that Lipinets was too stunned to even attempt getting back up, so they did not bother with the 10-count and waved off the fight and thus making Ennis the victor of their bout by way of knock-out.

Ennis vs. Dulorme, Clayton

On 30 October 2021, at the Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada, United States, Ennis took on Puerto Rican boxer Thomas "El Francés" Dulorme. He would go on to make short work of Dulorme and knock him out in the first round of their scheduled 10-round bout.
Serving as an IBF welterweight title eliminator bout, with the winner supposedly being set in line to become the mandatory of unified WBA, WBC, and IBF welterweight champion Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr., Ennis and Canada-native Custio "War Machine" Clayton clashed in the ring on May 14, 2022, at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Ennis justified his role as an overwhelming favorite to win the bout by knocking out Clayton in the second round with a fully torqued right-hook from the orthodox stance that landed square on Clayton's temple. To Clayton's credit, he did make the attempt to rise, but his equilibrium was too shaken for him to get his feet under him before the referee finished the 10-count.

IBF interim welterweight Champion

Ennis vs. Chukhadzhian

Unable to secure a match up with Errol Spence Jr., who was preoccupied with waiting out a welterweight undisputed bout with WBO welterweight champion Terrence "Bud" Crawford, Ennis squared-off against Ukrainian boxer Karen Chukhadzhian on Jan 7, 2023, at the Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C., U.S. With their bout also having the then-vacant IBF welterweight interim-champion title on the line.
Ennis' six year knockout streak, bar the no-contest against Van Heerden, was broken when he was taken the distance for only the third time in his career by Chukhadzhian who proved himself to be sturdier than people gave him credit for. But even with his gutsy attitude, the Ukrainian was dominated by Ennis across every round of their scheduled 12-round bout. This domination was reflected in the judges scores cards of 120-108 thrice and all in favor of Ennis for a Unanimous Decision victory.

Ennis vs. Villa

Making the first defense of his IBF welterweight interim-champion title, Ennis took on hard-hitting Colombian boxer Roiman "Flaco de Oro" Villa on 8 July 2023, at The Ballroom, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, U.S.
From the first round, Ennis' superior hand-speed and punch placement made it difficult for Villa to close in the distance. And even with Villa's tight high-guard and forward pressure granting him moments of success, they were greatly eclipsed by Ennis' own offense that was gradually becoming more frequent and coming in longer combinations as the rounds went on.
And in the 10th round, Boots slumped the Colombian slugger on the ropes with a lead left-cross and right hook combination from the southpaw stance which prompted referee David Fields, who had already warned Villa's corner that he would stop the fight if Villa continued to not punch back properly against Boots' barrage of attacks back in the 9th round, to not even start a 10-count and immediately wave off the fight to declare Ennis the winner of their bout by knockout.
And with his 31st victory acquired, Ennis retained his undefeated status along with his welterweight interim-champion title.

IBF welterweight champion

Three months after the defeat of Errol Spence Jr. on July 29th, 2023, to Terence Crawford, who had then unified the welterweight titles and became the undisputed champion of the division, the IBF ordered Crawford to defend their title—and in conjunction the WBC, WBA, and WBO titles—against Ennis who is his IBF-mandatory. Crawford did not take the fight, and the IBF subsequently stripped Crawford of their title on November 9, 2023, promoting Jaron Ennis to IBF welterweight champion.

Ennis vs. Avanesyan

Ennis was scheduled to defend his IBF welterweight title against Cody Crowley at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. Early June, Crowley announced that he was forced to withdraw from the bout due to retina issue. On June 11, 2024 David Avanesyan was announced as a new opponent for Ennis. Ennis defeated Avanesyan via fifth-round RTD.

Ennis vs. Chukhadzhian II

Ennis defended his IBF welterweight title in a second bout against Karen Chukhadzhian at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on November 9, 2024.

IBF & WBA welterweight unification

Ennis vs. Stanionis

Holding the IBF welterweight title, Ennis was scheduled to fight WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis 15-0 for the unified titles on April 12, 2025 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Ennis defeated Stanionis by corner retirement in the sixth round, successfully unifying the IBF and WBA welterweight titles in a commanding performance. Ennis began the bout by effectively utilizing his jab and a variety of combinations, establishing control early on. While Stanionis managed to land a few punches, Ennis's superior speed and accuracy set the tone for the fight. As the rounds progressed, Ennis maintained his momentum, targeting both Stanionis’s body and head. Although Stanionis attempted to apply pressure, he struggled to connect with significant blows while facing effective counterattacks. The sixth round proved to be decisive as Ennis escalated his offensive strategy, ultimately knocking Stanionis down. Following this round, Stanionis's corner made the decision to retire him from the fight, acknowledging that he was unable to continue. Over the six rounds, Ennis landed 81 of 424 punches and Stanionis landed 58 of 185. The low accuracy in Ennis's shots came from his jabs, where he landed more than half of his total punches thrown, only landing 7%.
On July 7, 2025, Ennis officially relinquished his IBF title, a move that had been anticipated since he announced his intention to ascend to the super welterweight division the previous month. On July 26, 2025, Ennis finalized a long-term multi-fight promotional agreement with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing and DAZN. On August 1, 2025, Ennis vacated his WBA title, with Regular champion Rolly Romero thus elevated to full champion.

Super welterweight

Ennis vs. Lima

On August 11, 2025, Matchroom Boxing announced that Ennis would make his super welterweight debut in his home state of Pennsylvania at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on October 11 against Uisma Lima, with the IBO world champions#Super welterweight|IBO] title at stake. The fight was scheduled to be a WBA title eliminator. Lima had not yet made his US debut and was on a four-fight winning streak since his only career loss to Aaron McKenna in 2023. The matchup received criticism due to Lima's limited recognition in the boxing community. Hearn defended the fight by pointing out Lima's ranking in the top 10 by three sanctioning bodies and his position as the IBO champion. He stated that Ennis required a challenging opponent, mentioning that eight boxers declined to compete against him despite lucrative offers. Fans had anticipated a more high-profile opponent for Ennis following his decision to vacate his welterweight titles and move up in weight class. Hearn reassured that if Ennis was victorious, he would face more prominent contenders in future fights. DraftKings designated Ennis as a 25-1 favorite. The stakes were raised during fight week as it was announced that the vacant interim WBA title would be awarded to the winner and be in line to challenge full titleholder Abass Baraou. Ennis won by first-round TKO in just under two minutes, securing the vacant WBA Interim title. He began the fight in an orthodox stance, establishing his jab and directing punches at Lima’s body and head. A right uppercut caught Lima off guard, leading to exchanges between the two, but Ennis connected with a left-right combination that knocked Lima down for the first time. After Lima managed to recover, Ennis delivered another strong combination, resulting in a second knockdown. Lima was unable to recover fully as Ennis continued to deliver punches, prompting the referee to stop the fight at 1:58 of the round. Following the victory, Ennis expressed interest in facing Vergil Ortiz Jr. as a potential next opponent.

Boxing style

Ennis's boxing style can be summarized as a highly versatile, aggressive, and aesthetically-pleasing blend of power, speed, and technical skill. He is a natural switch-hitter who fluidly changes stances, which confuses opponents and allows him to create angles for attack. He possesses exceptional power in both hands, complemented by very fast hand speed, making his combinations both heavy and quick.
He effectively uses the Philly Shell defense to block and deflect punches, which sets up his aggressive counter-punching. His jab is not a basic tool but a multi-faceted weapon. He uses a head jab to probe, disrupt rhythm, and set up combinations. A body jab to sap energy and draw the opponent's guard down. He uses a double jab to force defensive reactions and create openings. His gazelle jab is a jab combined with a hop or pivot to change angles and evade counters.
A signature trait is his willingness to stand in front of opponents using feints to bait them into attacking before launching counterpunches. He uses his feet to control distance and pace. He is adept at cutting off the ring, quickly repositioning from the ropes to the center, and shifting in and out of range effortlessly.
He throws punches in high-volume combinations while constantly changing the level and angles of his attacks. This disrupts an opponent's defense and rhythm, making it difficult to anticipate or block his shots. Ennis is an aggressive fighter who would rather stay in front of his opponents and beat them than win a cautious points decision. He is a physically large and strong welterweight with a high knockout ratio, often seeking to finish fights early.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
36WinUisma LimaTKO1, 1:58Oct 11, 2025Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.Won vacant WBA interim super welterweight title
35Win34–0 Eimantas StanionisRTD6, 3:00Apr 12, 2025Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained IBF welterweight title;
Won WBA and vacant The Ring welterweight titles
34Win33–0 Karen ChukhadzhianUD12Nov 9, 2024Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.Retained IBF welterweight title
33Win32–0 David AvanesyanRTD5, 3:00Jul 13, 2024Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.Retained IBF welterweight title
32Win31–0 Roiman VillaKO10, 1:27Jul 8, 2023Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained IBF interim welterweight title
31Win30–0 Karen ChukhadzhianUD12Jan 7, 2023Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C., U.S.Won vacant IBF interim welterweight title
30Win29–0 Custio ClaytonKO2, 2:49May 14, 2022Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, U.S.
29Win28–0 Thomas DulormeKO1, 1:49Oct 30, 2021Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
28Win27–0 Sergey LipinetsKO6, 2:11Apr 10, 2021Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
27NC26–0 Chris van Heerden1, 3:00Dec 19, 2020Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.For vacant IBO welterweight title;
van Heerden cut from an accidental head clash
26Win26–0Juan Carlos AbreuTKO6, 1:06Sep 19, 2020Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
25Win25–0Bakhtiyar EyubovTKO4, 0:34Jan 10, 2020Dort Federal Event Center, Flint, Michigan, U.S.
24Win24–0Damian FernandezTKO3, 2:10Oct 5, 2019Ocean Resort Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
23Win23–0Franklin MamaniRTD1, 3:00Aug 23, 2019Central Park Community Center, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, U.S.
22Win22–0Raymond SerranoKO2, 1:12Nov 16, 20182300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
21Win21–0Armando AlvarezTKO3, 2:59Jul 20, 2018WinnaVegas Casino and Resort, Sloan, Iowa, U.S.Won vacant WBC–USNBC Silver welterweight title
20Win20–0Mike ArnaoutisTKO2, 2:59Jun 1, 2018Showboat Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
19Win19–0Samuel AmoakoTKO1 Apr 14, 2018Masonic Temple, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
18Win18–0Gustavo GaribayTKO4, 2:14Jan 26, 2018SugarHouse Casino, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
17Win17–0George SosaKO2, 1:09Dec 1, 20172300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
16Win16–0Ayi BruceTKO1, 1:37Oct 14, 2017ABC Sports Complex, Springfield, Virginia, U.S.
15Win15–0Lionel JimenezKO1, 2:43Sep 23, 2017National Guard Armory, Hammond, Indiana, U.S.
14Win14–0Ricardo CanoKO1, 0:40Aug 12, 2017Howard Theater, Washington, D.C., U.S.
13Win13–0Robert HillRTD3, 3:00Jun 22, 2017Durham Armory, Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
12Win12–0Wilfredo AcuñaKO1, 1:23Jun 2, 20172300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
11Win11–0Eduardo FloresTKO4, 1:57May 13, 2017Mason Temple, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
10Win10–0James WinchesterUD6Mar 31, 20172300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
9Win9–0Elvin PerezKO1, 0:35Jan 28, 20172300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
8Win8–0Marcus BeckfordTKO6, 0:55Dec 16, 2016SugarHouse Casino, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
7Win7–0Chris Alexander4, 3:00Nov 11, 20162300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
6Win6–0Eddie Diaz4Sep 15, 20162300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
5Win5–0Matt MurphyKO2, 2:52Aug 6, 2016Grundy Arena, Bristol, Pennsylvania, U.S.
4Win4–0Tavorus TeagueTKO4, 1:38Jul 9, 2016Santa Ana Star Center, Rio Rancho, New Mexico, U.S.
3Win3–0Deshawn DeboseKO1, 0:20Jun 11, 2016ABC Sports Complex, Springfield, Virginia, U.S.
2Win2–0Luis Ramos1, 0:23May 14, 2016PA Sheet Metal Workers Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1Win1–0Cory Muldrew1, 0:42Apr 30, 2016Dixie Center, St. George, Utah, U.S.