Nashville Boxer Sena Agbeko Gains Insight from Sparring with Canelo Alvarez

Agbeko prepares for upcoming fight against Bektemir Melkuziev on Ryan Garcia undercard

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Nashville-based boxer Sena Agbeko has gained valuable experience sparring against elite champions like Canelo Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev as he prepares for his upcoming fight against super middleweight contender Bektemir Melkuziev on the undercard of the Ryan Garcia vs. Mario Barrios world title fight in Las Vegas.

Why it matters

Agbeko's sparring sessions with top pound-for-pound fighters have provided him with unique insights into their training methods and preparation that he hopes will give him an edge against the highly-ranked Melkuziev. A win over Melkuziev would put Agbeko back in title contention in the super middleweight division.

The details

Agbeko, a native of Ghana, moved to the United States at the urging of Ghanaian boxing legend Azumah Nelson to take his career to the next level. He has spent time in the gym sparring with champions like Canelo Alvarez, Artur Beterbiev, and Christian Mbilli, closely observing their training routines and methods. Agbeko believes this experience has been invaluable in upgrading his own skills and arsenal as he looks to pull off an upset against the highly-ranked Melkuziev on the Ryan Garcia undercard.

  • Agbeko faces Melkuziev on February 21, 2026 in Las Vegas.
  • Agbeko previously suffered a defeat to Vadim Tukov at middleweight in October 2025.

The players

Sena Agbeko

A Nashville-based boxer from Ghana who has gained valuable sparring experience against elite champions as he prepares for his upcoming fight.

Canelo Alvarez

A former undisputed champion that Agbeko has sparred with, providing him unique insights into elite-level training and preparation.

Bektemir Melkuziev

A super middleweight contender and the WBA's #2-ranked fighter, who Agbeko will face on the undercard of the Ryan Garcia vs. Mario Barrios fight.

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What they’re saying

“I think the biggest thing for me is watching them train and watching the methods, the processes they go through. The things that they do that you otherwise wouldn't even know unless you were there. So it's been very insightful, very eye opening, going (against) some of the best in the world.”

— Sena Agbeko, Boxer (The Tennessean)

What’s next

Agbeko will look to pull off an upset victory over the highly-ranked Bektemir Melkuziev on February 21, 2026 in Las Vegas on the undercard of the Ryan Garcia vs. Mario Barrios world title fight.

The takeaway

Agbeko's sparring sessions with elite champions like Canelo Alvarez have provided him with invaluable insights into the training methods and preparation of the best fighters in the world, which he hopes will give him an edge as he looks to re-establish himself as a contender in the super middleweight division.