Isaac Cruz and Angel Fierro will hope to move one step closer to a world title shot in 2025 as they prepare to fight this weekend.
The two Mexican fighters will meet on the undercard of the light heavyweight encounter between David Benavidez and David Morrell in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 1st.
Cruz and Fierro's matchup has been a late addition to the card at the T-Mobile Arena, with the former originally set to fight Ryan Garcia to start the year.
It is now Fierro who stands in Cruz's way as he looks to return to winning ways.
Cruz was beaten on points by southpaw Jose Valenzuela in his last fight in August 2024, while Fierro recorded a stoppage win over Eleazar Valenzuela Carrillo.
Read on for our best bets of the fight, which has the potential to steal the headlines this weekend.
Former WBA super lightweight world champion Cruz is hoping to get back on track and prove he can compete at world level once again.
"Pitbull" has enjoyed a successful career for the most part, but he has to rebuild his reputation after losing his world title without successfully defending it.
Cruz raced to 5-0 before losing for the first time in February 2016, but he learned his lessons and progressed to 22-1-1 over the next five years before his next loss in December 2021.
In Cruz's defense, that defeat did come against lightweight star Gervonta Davis, and Cruz earned respect and more fans after taking Davis the distance.
Wins over Yuriorkis Gamboa, Eduardo Ramirez, Giovvani Cabrera followed, earning him a shot at the WBA super lightweight title against Rolando Ramirez.
Cruz delivered the goods and won inside eight rounds, only to then lose the belt within six months to Valenzuela.
An aggressive style has earned Cruz 18 stoppage wins in 26 fights and he will look to come forward and use his power.
Fierro will be pressured from the first bell and he will do well to stay on his feet for the entire bout, especially with how hard Cruz will make him work.
While his record is impressive, Cruz faces a man in Fierro that has often gone under the radar.
The 26-year-old has also got an impressive knockout ratio, stopping 18 of his opponents from 23 victories.
Fierro has only lost twice, with Alex Martin and Alfredo Santiago both getting the better of him in the past.
While those defeats show he can be beaten, Fierro has never been stopped.
Cruz's attitude and aggressive nature may earn him a knockdown, but he has also racked up knockout wins against people at the tail end of their career.
Fierro is young and fresh and is just as hungry for glory with a potential world title fight on the cards for the winner.
While Cruz arguably carries more power, Fierro has a height and reach advantage which should allow him to keep his rival at bay and avoid any unnecessary exchanges.
The pressure is on Cruz to win, with Fierro a big underdog, and that could work to his advantage.
Fierro's best chance is to take Cruz into deep waters and while eventually he is likely to come up short, he may see his stock rise if he can produce a courageous effort in Las Vegas.
Isaac Cruz | Angel Fierro | |
Money Line | -850 | +525 |
By KO, TKO, DQ | -110 | +1600 |
By Decision or Technical Decision | +137 | +900 |
Read Isaac Cruz vs. Angel Fierro: Fight date, ring walk time, how to watch, undercard on site.
Read Isaac Cruz vs. Angel Fierro: Tale of the Tape on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.