Arizona hosts an exciting all-Mexican clash this summer, with WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete defending his title against 32-year-old Oscar Valdez.
Navarrete has joined a small and illustrious group of fighters as a three-weight world champion following his thrilling victory over Liam Wilson earlier this year.
That list will gain another member should Valdez emerge from this dust-up victorious, in what is guaranteed to be an entertaining bout.
We've got all bases covered ahead of the bout, so get clued up on all things Navarrete v Valdez below:
Emanuel Navarrete v Oscar Valdez: Fight Preview
Emanuel Navarrete v Oscar Valdez: All You Need To Know
Emanuel Navarrete v Oscar Valdez: Fighter Profiles
Emanuel Navarrete v Oscar Valdez: Tale of the Tape
Emanuel Navarrete v Oscar Valdez: Undercard
What | Emanuel Navarrete v Oscar Valdez |
Where | Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona |
When | Sunday 13th August |
How to watch | ESPN+ in US, UK broadcaster TBC |
Odds | Emanuel Navarrete 5/4, Oscar Valdez 20/33 |
All-Mexican fights are the gift that keeps on giving.
The country has produced a long list of champions and historic boxing icons which are adored by their passionate fans.
Julio Cesar Chavez, Salvador Sanchez, Ruben Olivares, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales are a smidgen of the talent which continues to play an integral part on the sport’s biggest stages.
When two come together to fight then you can expect honour, guts, heart and overall, a great fight.
Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez are expected to produce more of the same on August 12 for the WBO Super-Featherweight title.
The fight is scheduled to take place overnight on Sunday 13th August, 2023.
The main card is scheduled to start at 03:00 (GMT), with the main event ringwalks due to take place at 05:00 (GMT).
The fight is set to take place at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. With a capacity of 19,000, a lively audience is expected.
The venue has hosted numerous big sporting events, including NHL and NBA.
The whole card will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the US. However, as of writing, no UK broadcaster has picked up the event.
Title challenger Valdez is the odds-on favourite at 20/33, with Navarette 5/4 to defend his crown.
Navarrete is making a first defence of his newly acquired WBO super-featherweight crown.
The three-weight world champion picked up the belt in his ninth-round stoppage win over Wilson at this same venue in February 2023.
The defending champion boasts a record of 37 wins and just one loss in his professional career. Impressively, 31 of his victories came via knockout, including three of his last four.
Decorated Mexican Navarette began his professional career back in 2012, but it wasn't until 2018 that he fought outside of his homeland.
In 2019, he picked up his first world title - WBA world super bantamweight - with a unanimous points decision over Isaac Dogboe at Madison Square Garden in New York.
His sole defeat came in his sixth pro fight against Daniel Argueta, although he was later named the winner after his opponent failed to appear at the weigh-in.
This will be Navarrette's second consecutive fight at the Desert Diamond Arena in Arizona.
Valdez has suffered just one defeat in his 32-fight professional career, winning 23 of those contests via knockout.
His only defeat came at the hands of exceptionally talented superstar Shakur Stevenson in 2022 - a unification clash where Valdez lost his WBC world super featherweight title on the judges' scorecards via unanimous decision.
Valdez is a two-weight world champion and began his professional career in 2012. He has switched between Mexico and US as venues for his bouts.
This is just his second fight back since his defeat to Stevenson, previously beating Adam Lopez in Las Vegas earlier this year over 10 rounds.
Emanuel Navarrete will have to improve heaps on his last performance if he is to beat Oscar Valdez.
Against Australia’s Liam Wilson in February Navarrete was in real danger of letting complacency get the better of him.
Navarrete bounced back from being dropped in the fourth round to stop Wilson in the ninth; making him a three-weight world champion.
However, his recklessness and machismo almost cost him.
Against Valdez his biggest strengths could be to use his long arms to keep his fellow Mexican at bay with the jab and then fire off combinations.
Should his compatriot get on the inside then expect him to hammer the body of Navarrete.
In his 11 world title fights only four have gone the distance. You can get 2/1 on it being number eight.
Strengths: | Weaknesses: |
Good jab | Vulnerable when forcing the action |
Long reach | Struggles on the back foot |
Superb lead left hand | Lack of head movement |
Powerful hitter | Can be a little wild with his punches |
By Shaun Brown
After a defeat in the biggest fight of his career against Shakur Stevenson last year Oscar Valdez will look to remind everyone why he is one of the best at 130lbs.
Valdez was outclassed by the sublime Stevenson 15 months ago and only returned to action in May beating Adam Lopez on points.
The second victory over Lopez, four years on from the first, showed no mental scars from the demoralising loss to Stevenson.
In Navarrete he has the perfect opponent - a fighter who is willing to trade and leaves himself open when throwing.
Valdez showed against Miguel Berchelt he can overcome the disadvantages in reach and height with pressure and timing.
If Valdez can repeat a similar performance, then Navarrete may visit the canvas on more than one occasion.
Strengths: | Weaknesses: |
Left hook | Can get frustrated |
High guard | A lack of head movement |
Very good jab | Struggles with movement |
Combinations up close | Lack of discipline |
By Shaun Brown
We take a look at all of the vital statistics of both fighters as they get set for their hotly-anticipated showdown in Arizona, USA...
Emanuel Navarrete | Oscar Valdez | |
Odds: | 5/4 | 20/33 |
Age: | 28 | 32 |
Height: | 5ft 7ins | 5ft 5.5ins |
Reach: | 72ins | 66ins |
Weight: | Super-featherweight | Super-featherweight |
Trainer: | Pedro Navarrete Jr | Eddy Reynoso |
Record: | 37-1 (31 KOs) | 31-1 (23 KOs) |
Titles: | WBO super-featherweight champion | Former super-featherweight world champion |
Last Fight: | W - TKO (R9) v Liam Wilson (Feb 2023) | W - (UD) v Adam Lopez (May 2023) |
The full undercard for this event is still to be announced.
Emanuel Navarrete v Oscar Valdez | WBO super-featherweight title |
TBC v TBC | TBC |
TBC v TBC | TBC |
TBC v TBC | TBC |
TBC v TBC | TBC |
View odds for all of the above fights
Odds displayed within this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.
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