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Baraou heads to the Lion’s Den to take the WBO title from Zayas

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Image: Abass Baraou Heads Into the Lion’s Den: German WBA Champion Aims to Rip Xander Zayas’ WBO Title in Puerto Rico Showdown on January 31

WBA junior middleweight champion Abass Baraou (17-1, 9 KO) will hit the road again to face WBO 154-pound titleholder Xander Zayas (22-0, 13 KO) on January 31, 2026 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Top Rank, organizers of the Baraou vs. event Zayas, there is no information about the January 31st broadcast platform. Boxing fans will be interested.

Top Rank’s long-running eight-year broadcast contract with ESPN ended on July 26, 2025. They have been without a home since then. Surprisingly, they found no other broadcast platform where their talented players could showcase their skills.

Can Zayas withstand the heat?

The 31-year-old German Baraou will enter enemy territory to take the WBO title from the 23-year-old, inexperienced Puerto Rican Xander in his first defense of the crown. This is a fight where Baraou will need a good set of wheels to keep up with Zayas as he is mobile and tends to hold up a lot.

Baraou looked outstanding in his last fight, defeating interim WBA 154-pound champion Yoenis Tellaz by unanimous decision of 12 rounds in a spotless war on August 23, 2025. A month later on September 21, the WBA elevated Baraou to the full junior middleweight title after previous champion Terence Crawford vacated the title.

Objections and complaints

Zayas won the vacant WBO 154-pound title in his last fight, defeating Jorge Garcia Perez via 12-round unanimous decision on July 26, 2025, at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York.

This wasn’t a fun fight to watch unless you like to see movement and a lot of holding. This was the tactic Xander used to neutralize Marqarito’s pressure and Garcia Perez’s inside skills.

The 23-year-old Zayas is no match for Puerto Rican talents of the past, Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto. As far as Chris Williams can tell, Zayas’ fighting style is nothing like these champions. If Xander held back and moved less, he would have a better chance of matching these retired legends.

Baraou’s statement

“I fully appreciate him for stepping up and accepting this fight. Not everyone would take such a risk, especially at this stage, but that’s what makes this fight special,” Baraou said. “I’m getting ready to go to Puerto Rico, I’m going to bring some real heat and show the world that I’m a real force in this division. I’m not coming just to show off. I’m coming to make a statement and leave with another belt.”

For Barou to win, he will need to have quick feet to catch up to Zayas as he will be on the move throughout the match. Abass will also need an answer to the clinching that Zayas will be using, as it is a gigantic part of his game.

Last update: 11/10/2025

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Mike Tyson lists who was better between Mayweather and Pacquiao in their prime

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Mike Tyson names who was better between Mayweather and Pacquiao in their primes

Mike Tyson has shared his verdict on who he ranks higher between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered two of the greatest boxing legends in recent history, and their success led to a battle between them at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May 2015.

It was Mayweather who won by unanimous decision, but now, more than a decade later, they will meet again for a second time while fighting at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19.

Mayweather is now 49 and Pacquiao is 47, both men are well past their prime, and there is often debate among boxing fans as to which man was better than the other during the best years of their careers.

Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez, while Pacquiao is the only eight-division boxing world champion in history to boast victories over the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto.

Heavyweight icon Tyson once expressed his own opinion on who was the better of the two, ace revealed that he thinks Pacquiao has achieved more.

“Pacquiao is better than Floyd. He overcame adversity. He got knocked out, came back and had some sensational fights against opponents that outperformed any opponent Floyd had fought.”

Before Mayweather faces Pacquiao in a rematch, he is actually scheduled to face Tyson himself, and an event between the pair will take place soon, although it appears it will not take place on the originally announced April 25 date.

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Dmitry Bivol is targeting a fight with Canelo Alvarez or David Benavidez

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Image: The New Canelo? Jose Benavidez Sr. Says Son David Will Relentlessly Pursue Dmitry Bivol's Titles After WBC Vacancy

Undisputed lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol could pursue a rematch with Canelo Alvarez or a fight with David Benavidez once he finishes his current duties in the division.

Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, outlined the champion’s preferred path in comments provided by Dan Rafael, explaining that Bivol intends to first pursue a mandatory IBF defense and then return to competing with Artur Beterbiev.


He is expected to have a mandatory defense against Michael Eifert this spring. The fight was scheduled for May 23 at a gala headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

After fulfilling this obligation, Bivol’s team wants to immediately start the third fight with Beterbiev. Their rivalry produced two closely watched fights, leaving unfinished business between two fighters who have dominated the lithe heavyweight division for the past several years and built one of the most respected rivalries in the sport.

More intriguing possibilities emerge after this trilogy. Rafael reported that Bivola’s camp sees a second fight with Canelo as one of the main options still available to the champion. Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision in 2022, handing the Mexican star one of the clearest defeats of his career.

Another potential opponent in question is Benavidez, who has moved up to lithe heavyweight and has been seeking a chance to fight the top fighters in the division. The fight between Bivol and Benavidez will pit the undefeated Mexican-American challenger against a champion who currently holds four major division titles.

Kornilov also suggested that Bivol could eventually prove himself at cruiserweight, although such an idea appears to be more of a long-term possibility than an immediate plan for the undefeated champion.

For now, the plan of action remains straightforward: fulfill the IBF mandate against Eifert, complete the trilogy with Beterbiev, and then fight one of the most crucial fights that could decide the final stage of Bivol’s career.

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Categories David Benavidez, Artur Beterbiev, Canelo Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol

Last update: 2026/03/10 at 16:34

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Jai Opetai’s undisputed dream lives on as the IBF releases a fresh statement regarding the status of the title

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Jai Opetaia undisputed dream still alive as IBF release new statement on title status

A fresh twist has been revealed in the story of Jai Opetai and the IBF cruiserweight title.

Last week it was reported that Opetaia was to be stripped of his IBF belt after the opening bell of his planned fight with Brandon Glanton on Sunday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, due to the fact that the fight was also for Zuffa’s inaugural belt.

Nevertheless, Opetaia continued his fight and declared a unanimous decision victory over Glanton extend their undefeated record to 30-0.

After the fight, Opetaia once again shared his desire to become undisputed in the cruiserweight division, and it appears he has been given the opportunity to do just that as – announced the IBF in a statement that they have not yet made a final decision to strip him of the title.

“Jai Opetaia made comments during the post-fight press conference that led the organization’s leadership to question whether his advisors fully and fully made him aware of the decisions he had to make in deciding to fight Brandon Glanton. The organization intends to take a closer look at this matter.”

The statement also included a mighty response to claims that they had decided not to sanction the fight due to feelings of “disrespect” in the run-up to the fight.

“The IBF categorically denies any suggestion or claim that it deliberately withdrew sanctions to cause harm. The IBF sanctioned the Opetaia vs. Glanton fight in good faith, expecting what was assured to happen.”

“The press conference held on March 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, made it clear that the inaugural Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship would be held on March 8.

“The IBF, as previously stated on March 6, reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other sanctioning bodies that adhere to the same regulations that the IBF follows, and reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other fights that prepare the IBF cruiserweight title remains a subject of discussion.”

The final outcome as to whether Opetaia will indeed retain her title will be revealed in due course.

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