Kayinsola Ajayi was the reigning NCAA champion when he showed up at the Prefontaine Classic and beat the world champion. Nobody was quite sure what to make of it. Then he did it again in London, clocking 9.84 to fend off Oblique Seville for a second time in two weeks. The 21-year-old’s message to the Olympians he keeps beating was short, sharp and anything but subtle.

And he’s now bursting with confidence ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, where Ajayi confirmed that he will be competing in Glasgow. However, after beating Seville for the second time in as many weeks, the 21-year-old took to social media to celebrate his win.

“Strictly business over here. 💼,” Ajayi wrote on X. “We don’t do pillow talk 🤫 we built for whatever you bring on 🦅 2X 💎 League Wins 7 men can’t hold me down 🤐”

Bursting with confidence seems a little under-utilised there, especially after he stared down Oblique Seville while crossing the line. That plus his last two races in the Diamond League shows just how good Ajayi has been. The youngster made his DL debut at the Prefontaine Classic and it was a debut to remember. It started off in mid-June at the NCAAs, where he beat favourites Jelani Watkins and Jadien Ried to the gold.

There, Ajayi clocked a spectacular 9.72 (+2.2) to soar to the finish line, and he then lined up at Eugene again, this time for the Prefontaine Classic. A different environment with Olympic and World Champions lining up against it and yet it didn’t seem to matter. Much like the NCAA finals, Ajayi kept his momentum going and blitzed past the older men.

“I feel good, I’ve been consistent,” Ajayi told reporters after the race (via Olympics.com). “That was part of my goal. Stay on top of it all, stay consistent, come out here and do what I have to do and just execute my race. So I feel good about that.”

He ended the Eugene DL with 9.84, finishing ahead of Oblique Seville, Kenneth Bednarek and Christian Coleman among others. Many believed it was a fluke, few believed it would happen again and then it did. More than sixty thousand spectators at the Olympic Stadium watched on as Ajayi did it again. He crossed the line in 9.84 and once again finished ahead of Seville (9.87).

It seems that Kayinsola Ajayi has clearly got something on Seville, even if the reigning World Champion has been in fine form. In the six races he has run in since early June, the Jamaican missed the first spot on just three occasions.

That’s his season opener during the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix, and both the Eugene and London Diamond League meets. Outside that, the 25-year-old has been as close to perfect, which shows just how good Ajayi has been to beat him.

Seville may have arrived in London as the reigning world champion, but it was Ajayi who once again stole the spotlight. After the race, the Nigerian opened up about another statement victory on the Diamond League stage.

Kayinsola Ajayi reflects on his London Diamond League win

It started with the NCAA Indoor season, where Kayinsola Ajayi walked away with the gold in the 60m. That was foreshadowing the future, as by June, the likes of Jelani Watkins and Jadien Reid had gone from favourites to being beaten by a rising African star. Suddenly, Ajayi was on a six-race winning streak, won the NCAA Outdoor title in the 100m and was making his Diamond League debut.

Now two races into his senior debut and the 21-year-old’s name is on everyone’s lips. Who can blame them? Especially after he beat a reigning World Champion and three Olympic medalists to the punch not once but twice. His confidence, however, is what makes things rather interesting as Kayinsola Ajayi, after winning in London, reflected on his race.

“I just came out here and did what I had to do… I’m happy; I got the job done,” Ajayi told Olympics.com. “I got out of the blocks like ‘Boom!’ I knew that if I did my start [well]… then everything was over.”

For now, Kayinsola Ajayi’s confidence is matching his performances, and the results are giving established stars plenty to think about. With the Commonwealth Games next on his schedule, the NCAA champion has made it clear he isn’t planning to slow down.