Jermall Charlo revealed today that he’ll be fighting Caleb Plant in a “grudge match” on January 31, 2026. He says he wanted to fight before the end of the year, but it didn’t happen.
Why He Still Wants Plant
The former two-division world champion Charlo (34-0, 23 KOs) will finally get a chance to get his lick back after being slapped by Plant (23-3, 14 KOs) two years ago in 2023. The 35-year-old Jermall would have fought Plant by now, but he’s been too inactive.
Much of the fan interest that was once there in a Charlo-Plant fight has disappeared. The former IBF super middleweight champion, ‘Sweethands’ Plant, has lost three out of his last five fights since 2021. He’s no longer seen as being one of the top rung 168-pounders. Charlo waited too long to pull the trigger on this fight, and he missed his window when this match was still hot.
Charlo Drops the Date
“I’m back. I was calling them out. I’ll show you the messages. I was trying to get a fight before the end of the year and still fight at the top of the year,” said Jermall Charlo on Brian Custer’s YouTube channel. “I guess we’re looking at January 31st. Dang, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.
Charlo fought earlier this year, knocking out journeyman Thomas LaManna in the sixth round. That was Jermall’s first fight back after a two-year layoff. In his previous fight, he defeated Jose Benavidez Jr. by a 10-round unanimous decision on November 25, 2023.
Plant’s Recent Slide
Charlo fought on the same card as Plant vs. Jose Armando Resendiz. The idea was that Jermall and Plant would fight next. But when Plant lost to Resendiz, it ruined those plans.
“I want to fight Caleb Plant. I want to get that fight out of the way, because the only fight in my career that makes the most sense. They’re calling it a grudge match. I’m calling it straight boxing. I want to get that fight in and take care of business,” said Jermall.
