Emanuel Navarrete will defend his 130-pound title against former champ Oscar Valdez on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.
EMANUEL NAVARRETE (37-1, 31 KOs)
VS. OSCAR VALDEZ (31-1, 23 KOs)
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 12
- Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona
- TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
- Division: Junior lightweight (130 pounds)
- At stake: Navarrete’s WBO title
- Odds: Valdez 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Pound-for-pound: None
- Also on the card: Raymond Muratalla vs. Diego Torres, lightweights; Lindolfo Delgado vs. Jair Valtierra, junior welterweights; Richard Torrez Jr. vs. Willie Jake Jr., heavyweights
- Prediction: Valdez UD
- Background: Navarrete will be making the first defense of the title he won by knocking out Liam Wilson in the ninth round of a wild fight in which both men went down this past February in the same venue. The volume-punching Mexican, a former 122- and 126-pound titleholder, has been undefeated since he lost a decision in a four-rounder in his sixth professional fight. Valdez, also Mexican, is on the comeback trail after he was outclassed in a 130-pound title-unification bout against the gifted Shakur Stevenson in April of last year. Stevenson won a one-sided decision. Valdez bounced back to defeat capable Adam Lopez by a wide decision this past May, which earned him a shot at Navarrete’s title. Valdez also held the WBO 126-pound title between 2016 and 2019.
