Neither man entered in a sharp state. The pace was modest from the opening bell, with long exchanges in the middle distance and frequent injuries. Ibeh appeared the steadier of the two early on. He landed the cleaner shots throughout the first half of the fight and did more consistent work as Miller struggled to find rhythm.
The night’s defining moment came in the second round, when Ibeh clipped Miller with a series of head shots that dislodged Miller’s hairpiece. The toupee peeled loose and flapped awkwardly as the round ended, drawing loud reactions from the crowd. Miller removed it completely before the next round and threw it away, turning an otherwise plodding fight into an instant viral clip.
After that moment, the battle settled back into familiar territory. Ibeh continued to find success in the middle rounds, winning exchanges and keeping Miller from establishing sustained pressure. Several observers had Ibeh ahead after five rounds, and one judge finally agreed and scored the fight in his favor.
Miller’s edge came late. While still slow, he appeared slightly fresher. He pushed forward more consistently, threw in greater volume and benefited from Ibeh’s output dropping in the latter rounds. The ninth round was critical, as Miller closed the frame with a short flurry that visibly shook Ibeh just before the bell. That series seemed to swing two scorecards.
The tenth round followed the same pattern. Miller advanced. Ibeh turned and closed. Neither fighter came close to a stoppage.
When the scores were read, Miller was awarded the split decision and improved his record to 27-1-2. Ibeh fell to 16-3-1 after a fight that many felt could have gone either way.
In context, the result is more important for positioning than performance. Miller hasn’t won since his majority draw with Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2024, and this match is designed to keep him active and visible rather than answering bigger questions. It succeeded only in the narrowest sense.
The toupee incident will be remembered. The box will not. At this stage, Miller remains a recognizable name, but nights like this underscore how far removed he is from the heavyweight picture that actually counts.
