When the chance to compete on less than a month’s notice was presented to Nahir Albright (17-2, 7 KOs) in January, the 30-year-old did not hesitate to jump straight into the opportunity– twice.
Set to step in and replace injured Argentinian Gustavo Lemos for his scheduled IBF 140-pound title eliminator with surging Brit Adam Azim in London this past weekend, Albright’s elation quickly found a crescendo when Azim succumbed to a damaged hand, cancelling the contest completely. Disappointment was short-lived, though, as an offer within 24 hours quickly rectified the situation.
Albright will now meet Frank ‘The Ghost’ Martin (19-1, 13 KOs), who is fresh off a horrifying knockout of Rances Barthelemy late last year, on the undercard of The Ring’s February 21 pay-per-view headlined by Mario Barrios defending his WBC welterweight title against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.
Although the opponent, venue, and potential for casual eyeballs, on the back of Garcia’s crossover appeal, have changed, the goal remains the same – take the step forward that has eluded Albright throughout his career to date.
“I was excited,” he told FightsATW.com of learning of the Martin contest. “Honestly, I was ready mentally already because I was supposed to fight, but my opponent had hurt his hand. A day later, I had a new fight.
“It’s nothing new to me. It’s a bigger platform, so I’m more excited to showcase my talent, but at the end of the day, it’s the same thing.”
Albright enters the year with a groundswell of momentum thanks to a 2025 campaign that increased both his visibility and popularity. ‘Woo,’ as he is known to boxing fans, caused a stir last June when, as a heavy underdog, he outgunned the then-unbeaten Kelvin Davis to take a majority decision win in Norfolk, Virginia.
The victory was somewhat overshadowed, however, when Davis’ younger brothers Keon and former Albright opponent Keyshawn angrily entered the Philadelphia native’s locker room post-fight, resulting in a scuffle. Initially viewed as a blight on a fantastic underdog performance, the ensuing swell of content, opinion, and analysis, while profuse, helped to create a new level of exposure.
“I look at it like it worked in my favor,” Albright said. “At the end of the day, there was publicity. It put my name out there. As long as they’re mentioning my name, it’s a win.
“I just chose not to let it affect me mentally. At first it was overwhelming, that whole weekend, but as time went on, I just was like, “okay. It’s going to blow over.”
All that appears left to do now is cash in on the momentum and seize the big opportunity, something that has avoided Albright during his 20-fight career. In bouts with highly credentialled opponents like Jamaine Ortiz and the aforementioned Keyshawn Davis, he has been found wanting, fighting gallantly but ultimately coming up short. Still, there is resolve in his voice and an outlook full of positivity, which may come down to several factors.
Maybe the triumph over Davis that came after 18 months out of boxing highlighted to Albright that he is talented enough to succeed against Martin and the upper echelon at junior welterweight. It could be the strong support network, headed by his five-year-old daughter, that continues to encourage him to “keep striving,” both athletically and outside of the ring.
In any case, Albright is firm in the belief that we will see a lot play out in the second act of his career, starting on February 21 at T-Mobile Arena. “This is just scratching the surface,” he stated. “There’s so much more to be done, so much more that’s going to get done.
“I think he’s a good fighter. I think he’s sharp, he’s talented. I just don’t see him beating me. I’ve got something deep down inside that’s just different, and it’s going to show on fight night.
“I’ve got a bunch of big fights left in me, because I never really went to war. A lot of my fights, I didn’t really take damage, so I’m still fresh at 30.”
Though Martin poses a serious threat to such a determined outlook, expect to see “Woo” pushing to be the best version of himself over 10 rounds.
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
