Caoimhin Agyarko experienced a year of career-firsts, before accepting a surprising order to box Brandon Adams in a final eliminator for Bakhram Murtazaliev's IBF junior middleweight world title.

While much has been said recently about Troy Williamson's resurgence at super middleweight and Ishmael Davis' active schedule, the 29-year-old holds victories over both and world-level tests beckon.

The 154-pound division is predictably dominated by American names and those operating stateside, namely Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz. Many have longed to see them settle their dispute since both competed at welterweight.

Neither is a full world champion at the weight, having interim titleholder distinctions with the WBA and WBC, but there's a sense of inevitability it won't be much longer before that changes.

Besides longtime contender Josh Kelly, who challenges Murtazaliev in Newcastle on January 31, Agyarko is the only British-based boxer ranked within the top-15 among any of the four sanctioning bodies.

The seven-year pro wants to become the first Black Irish world champion and is a significant step closer after agreeing the IBF's order to determine their next mandatory challenger.

IBF's No. 4 contender Callum Walsh, who he says previously rejected an all-Irish matchup, is expected to feature in a Zuffa Boxing event in early 2026.

No. 5 Nikita Tszyu is set to headline a No Limit PPV against Michael Zerafa on January 16 while former welterweight operator Giovani Santillan had agreed to be part of the Xander Zayas-Abass Baraou unification undercard two weeks later.

California's Adams (26-4, 16 KOs) ensured it was painful deja vu for Serhii Bohachuk, outpointing the highly rated Ukrainian over 10 rounds in the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford prelims to seize his divisional leverage and parlay that into this opportunity.

"I don't follow the division at any time, just have to control the controllables," Agyarko told The Ring.

"I don't watch what they are doing, just be the best version of me, if you focus on others ... about fighting different guys, you'll throw yourself off your own game. People text me asking what [Adams] is like but I couldn't tell you. I'll say once it's fully confirmed and there's a date locked in, why worry myself now? Can't let things like that consume you.

"It was instilled in me from a young age. My amateur coach always told me ... just control the controllables. You can fight the best guy in the division tomorrow and his style might change because he's fighting you, so don't focus on things you can't change.

"I've learned to do that over the years, not always easy but I use that in every aspect of life, can't let things stress me and play on my mind."

Agyarko (18-0, 7 KOs) accepts having to endure adversity such as in his win over Davis on the Lewis Crocker-Paddy Donovan II undercard — he had impaired vision for seven rounds — but acknowledges the need to be better after his first 12-rounder.

"People looked at my [right] eye and thought I'm the one losing but [coach Stephen Smith] told me to go through the gears more, two and three-phase attacks. I listened at times and didn't in other moments, told the ref you might've cost me the fight [with the knockdown] but he said he hadn't, so knew then that I had won."

Activity comes at a cost, especially with consecutively long, gruelling training camps.

Agyarko sounds nonchalant when discussing how the nasty swelling below his right eye eased after four days, how he sported a black eye for 10 days and how it was his body, rather than his face, which felt the brunt of Davis' aggressive advances.

"I knew I wasn't going to fight again before the year ended. I'm normally straight back in the gym after a couple of days, but after doing a 16-week camp then straight into a 12-week camp, my body was beaten up. Two weeks off was enough. Then started training again."

Devin Haney chirping aside, Matchroom plan to have Crocker's first world title defence a voluntary at Windsor Park on April 11, with local reports claiming a unification bout is agreed in principle for the 20,000-seater to be scheduled sometime in September 2026.

Agyarko-Adams could be the chief support that night. Nothing has been said since both agreed in mid-November, though Adams has played ball with the various sanctioning body's recent conventions and is ranked at No. 2 with the WBO and WBC.

As he enters the final year of his 20s, how would Agyarko assess this year?

"You just have to take your opportunities. I wanted to be active, had to drop down a level and fight on a small-hall show for the first time in my career, not get paid and take that to stay active. Got a phone call 10 days later for [Ryan] Kelly and a year earlier, I wouldn't have done that. That led to Davis, won that and now in line for an IBF world title final eliminator.

"I always wanted to put myself in contention for world titles in 2026. Didn't think it would be with the IBF as I've been with the WBA for the last four years as a top-10 ranked fighter, but I've learned a lot about myself, taken chances and risks, which have paid off."