Oberlton Scheduled to Face Deon Nicholson in Albuquerque

Atif Oberlton is scheduled to face Deon Nicholson on November 7 at Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The ten-round bout features the undefeated American light heavyweight, who holds a record of 17-0.

Oberlton said of his future goals: “As long as they keep putting people in front of me, I’m going to keep fighting. Every time I step in the ring, I want to perform better than the last time, climb the ladder, and take some hardware home. I’m ready to take some candy.”

Deon Nicholson enters the bout with a record of 23 victories, 19 of them by knockout. Atif Oberlton has 14 knockouts in his 17 victories.

Oberlton said of Nicholson: “Nicholson is a good opponent—a good dance partner. We’re getting closer to the level of opponents that allow for a standout performance because the challenge keeps stepping up. I definitely don’t take him lightly. I respect everyone who gets in the ring and stands in front of me, but I’m going to go out there and do what I trained to do.”

Oberlton recorded a shutout decision over Roamer Alexis Angulo in August. In an interview, he discussed that performance and his current training camp. “Looking back, I’d rate my performance against Angulo maybe a 7 out of 10—I could have definitely done better. But this camp is different mentally. We had a lot of factors going on last time, but I’m entirely focused now,” Oberlton said.

Earlier in 2026, Oberlton stopped Joseph George and Carlos Gongora. He was the first fighter to stop Gongora that year.

Nicholson was previously linked to a showdown with former undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev.

Promoter Dmitriy Salita is looking to establish Oberlton as America’s leading light heavyweight. Oberlton stated that Salita Promotions has kept its promise to keep him busy since he signed with them.

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