Miguel Berchelt puts his WBC junior lightweight world title on the line against Oscar Valdez, a former featherweight titlist, in the main event of a Top Rank on ESPN boxing card Saturday night at the MGM Conference Center in Las Vegas (ESPN and ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET with undercard fights at 6:45 p.m. ET on ESPN+).
Berchelt (38-1, 34 KO) won the title with an 11th-round KO victory over Francisco Vargas in 2017. Berchelt, 29, of Cancun, Mexico, has defended the belt six times, including a sixth-round TKO in a rematch with Vargas in May 2019.
“Styles make fight, and I believe my style and Oscar’s style will make for a great fight, so we’ll see what happens,” said Berchelt at the news conference on Thursday. “I want to tell my fans not to miss this fight. This is going to be a great fight. I know what it’s taken me to get this title, and I’m sure I will defend this title successfully again.”
Valdez (28-0, 22 KOs) won the WBO featherweight title with a second-round victory over Matias Carlos Adrian Rueda in 2017. He defended the belt six times before moving up in weight. Valdez, 30, of Nogales, Mexico, has won his two fights at junior lightweight by stoppage, including a 10th-round TKO of Jayson Velez in July.
“This is my opportunity. I’m not going to go in there and not give it my all,” said Valdez. “I’m going to do whatever it takes. If I have to box, I’ll box. If I have to bang it and brawl it out, then I’m willing to do that, too.”
In the co-main event, Gabriel Flores Jr. (19-0, 6 KOs), faces Velez (29-7-1, 21 KOs) in a 10-round junior lightweight bout. Also on the card, hard-hitting junior welterweight prospect Elvis Rodriguez (10-0-1, 10 KOs), of Dominican Republic, meets Argentina’s Luis Alberto Veron (18-2-2, 9 KOs) in an eight-round battle.
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Still to come
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Title fight: Miguel Berchelt vs. Oscar Valdez, 12 rounds, for Berchelt’s WBC junior lightweight title
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Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Jayson Velez, 10 rounds, junior lightweights
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Esquiva Falcao vs. Artur Akavov, 10 rounds, middleweights
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Elvis Rodriguez vs. Luis Alberto Veron, 8 rounds, junior welterweights
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Xander Zayas vs. James Martin, 6 rounds, welterweights
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Javier Martinez vs. Billy Wagner, 4 rounds, middleweights
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Uriel Villanueva vs. Omar Rosario, 4 rounds, junior welterweights