Boxing
Zuffa Boxing 02 Preview: Valenzuela vs. Torres
Published
1 month agoon
Main Event – Lightweight (10 rounds)
Jose Valenzuela vs. Diego Torres
Former WBA super lightweight world champion Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela returns to 135 pounds after losing his title in March 2025, bringing southpaw strength and a wealth of experience against orthodox opponents. Diego “Azabache” Torres goes on a four-fight winning streak with 19 career knockouts since his only professional loss in 2023. This fight matches Valenzuela’s championship past compared to Torres’ current lively and skill.
Co-Main Event – middleweight
Serhii Bohachuk vs Rajab Butaev
Serhii Bohachuk, the former WBC interim super welterweight champion with a 92% knockout rate, moves up to 160 pounds after losing a decision in September 2024. Former fighter Radzhab Butaev is also making his middleweight debut at the age of 32. Both fighters have considerable strength as they move into a up-to-date weight class.
Lightweight heavyweight
Radivoje Kalajdzic vs Oleksandr Gvozdyk
Radivoje Kalajdzic returns after a long layoff and a decision loss in 2024 that ended his five-fight winning streak based on size and experience at 175 pounds. Former WBC featherlight heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Olympic bronze medalist with a spectacular knockout of Adonis Stevenson, continues his return to the top positions in the division. The fight pits Kalajdzic’s physical superiority against Gvozdyk’s technical skills and elite pedigree.
Featured Elimination – Catchweight (157 lbs)
Jalil Hackett vs. Roberto Cruz
Emerging prospect Jalil Hackett remains dynamic and improving rapidly following a first-round knockout in December 2025. Roberto Cruz, who is coming off his first professional loss in May 2025, has been assured of a longer career since turning professional at the age of 18. The catchweight fight tests Hackett’s recent momentum against Cruz’s experience.
Lightweight
Oscar Perez vs. Justin Viloria
Undefeated southpaw Oscar “El Chato” Perez picks up consecutive decision victories in 2025 in eight-round fights. Another undefeated southpaw, Justin “Chosen” Viloria, has secured multiple knockouts in recent matches along with decisions made in recent matches, earning him more ring time overall. The potential clash features two promising left-handers with different finishing tendencies.
Welterweight
Damoni Cato-Cain vs. Christian Morales
Damoni Cato-Cain returns after a year off following a run that included wins, losses and draws against a variety of competition. Compact notice replacement Christian “El Mejor” Morales, undefeated in all knockout wins, represents a rising local Las Vegas prospect. The fight combines Cato-Cain’s veteran experience with Morales’ perfect finishing record.
Heavyweight
Julian Gomez vs. Damasion Vanhouter
Julian “La Bomba” Gomez is looking to bounce back from his October 2025 knockout loss. Undefeated Damazion Vanhouter is building on consistent stoppage victories, including multiple first-round finishes. In the heavyweight division, Gomez’s determination is at odds with Vanhouter’s unbroken record and recent activity.
Cruiserweight (card opener)
Jamar Talley vs. Devonte Williams
Undefeated prospect Jamar “No Mercy” Talley, trained by Brian McIntyre, was quickly finishing most of his professional appearances. Devonte Williams returns to the game after back-to-back setbacks and an extended layoff, bringing veteran experience to his Las Vegas debut. The opening pits Talley’s growing strength against Williams’ chance to turn things around.
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Canelo Alvarez talked about how long he could stay in the sport before hanging up his gloves and opting for a decorated career.
The 35-year-old is already destined for a place in the Hall of Fame, as he became a four-division world champion, but he still wants to compete at the highest level.
Since his professional debut in 2005, the Mexican has made 68 appearances and has twice become the undisputed king of the 168-pound division, scoring notable victories over the likes of Callum Smith and Caleb Plant.
However, his most critical victory came in the middleweight division, where Alvarez made a very controversial decision by majority vote in a rematch with Gennady Golovkin in 2018.
More controversial was their first meeting a year earlier, when many felt Golovkin had done enough to claim a convincing victory and the Kazakhstan ended in a draw.
Still, Canelo received plenty of credit for his follow-up triumph before dethroning Sergei Kovalev to capture the WBO featherlight heavyweight title over a year later.
Alvarez’s second undisputed super middleweight reign came to an end last September when Terence Crawford moved up two weight classes and won a unanimous decision.
But Canelo explained anyway Froch About the fight that he can still compete for another two years, maybe even longer, depending on how often his opportunities come along.
“I don’t know. I think maybe two years. I don’t need it, [but] I still enjoy it. If I [fight] maybe once a year [I can go on] a little bit [longer].
“Once a year to rest my body, I think I can fight more [than two years]”
Although an official announcement has not yet been made, Canelo is scheduled to fight in Riyad, Saudi Arabia this September, and Turki Alalshikh has promised to fight for the world title.
Boxing
The Inoue-Nakatani title fight will take place on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome
Published
2 hours agoon
March 7, 2026
Boxing’s worst kept secret has now been confirmed – Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KO) and Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 KO) will meet on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome for Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight championship.
The all-Japan clash was formally announced at a press conference in Japan. The fight will be broadcast live on Lemino pay-per-view; US distribution rights have not yet been announced.
Inoue – ESPN’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer – is coming off an impressive 2025 in which he competed four times, defeating Kim Ye-Joon, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso. Thanks to Inoue’s unanimous decision victory over Picasso in December, Nakatani defeated Sebastian Hernandez in the second fight of the night in a tougher-than-expected fight. Their victories set up a long-awaited clash between two of Japan’s best players.
Nakatani is ranked No. 6 pound-for-pound by ESPN and will look to become a four-division champion after winning world titles at bantamweight, junior bantamweight and flyweight. Although Nakatani narrowly won his junior featherweight debut in a grueling fight against Hernandez, Nakatani proved he was one of the best fighters in the world and had a powerful showing in 2025, winning 3-0.
The Undercard will feature Inoue’s younger brother Takuma defending his WBC bantamweight title against former four-division titleholder Kazuto Ioka.
Boxing
Dan Rafael says IBF president opposed Jai Opetaia Presser
Published
4 hours agoon
March 7, 2026
Jai Opetai’s fight against Brandon Glanton is still moving forward, but veteran reporter Dan Rafael says the issue that caused the IBF title to be removed from the fight had to do with how the belt was presented during fight week. Rafael reported that IBF president Daryl Peoples believes that the organization’s title was shown as secondary to Zuffa’s belt during a recent press conference.
This explanation makes the argument about the presentation rather than the match itself. Rafael wrote that Peoples objected to the way the belts were arranged at the press, with Zuffa’s belt posed for the cameras while Opetaia held the IBF title rather than raising it in the usual manner towards the audience.
“The IBF withdrew sanctions and sent the overseer home after the journalist because IBF President Daryl Peoples felt disrespected by the belt being placed secondary to Zuffa’s,” Rafael wrote on social media.
Fight week photos reflect the arrangement Rafael described. At the final press conference on Friday, Zuffa’s belt was centered and Opetaia held the red IBF title at his side. Saturday’s weigh-in had a similar effect. Zuffa’s belt was raised over the fighters on the restart, while Opetaia continued to hold the IBF Championship on his chest. This sequence appears to have irritated the sanctioning authority.
Rafael also reported another unusual detail related to the fight. Even after the IBF dropped its sanctions, Opetai and Glanton were still expected to adhere to IBF weight rules ahead of the morning fight. Rafael said that no competitor can weigh more than ten pounds over the cruiserweight weight limit of 200.
Rafael later noticed that the IBF belt continued to appear in promotion for the event. Opetaia held the title at media events and discussed it publicly, and graphics broadcast by Zuffa covered the championship. Rafael’s account points to the dispute that raged over Zuffa’s title belt relationship during press events.
Opetaia entered fight week as the IBF cruiserweight champion after regaining the belt in a rematch victory over Mairis Briedis in 2024. The Australian continues to wear the physical belt while promoting his fight against Glanton. Once he steps into the ring and takes part in an unsanctioned fight, the IBF Championship will no longer move forward with him.
The fight remains scheduled, and reports from Rafael indicate that the split was due to belt politics and presentations at public events. The episode shows how rigorously sanctioning bodies guard the status of their championships as modern promoters introduce competitive titles.
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Last update: 2026/03/07 at 15:51
Canelo Alvarez discusses his retirement plan
The Inoue-Nakatani title fight will take place on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome
Dan Rafael says IBF president opposed Jai Opetaia Presser
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