Rafael Espinoza, Sergio Chirino Set For WBC Title Fight; Andres Cortes Over Limit
Both titleholder and challenger put on their best game face before they shook hands and embraced.
Rafael Espinoza and Sergio Chirino each weighed 125.6 pounds ahead of their WBO featherweight title fight. Their bout will headline Friday’s Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ show from BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
The all-Mexico clash marks the first title defense for Espinoza (24-0, 20 KOs). The belt was earned in a spirited majority decision over Robeisy Ramirez (13-2, 8 KOs) in a Fight of the Year contender last Dec. 9 in Miami.
At 6’1”, Guadalajara’s Espinoza, No. 6 at 126 by The Ring, made history as the tallest featherweight in history to
Chirino (22-1, 13 KOs) enters his first career title fight.
The 29-year-old contender aims to become the first boxer from the Mexican state of Oaxaca to win a major title. Chirino steps well up in competition but is armed with a 12-fight win streak. His lone defeat came in an Aug. 2018 stoppage loss to Mauricio Lara, who went on to win the WBA featherweight title. Chirino took that fight on short notice. He vowed to never again enter a fight at less that one-hundred percent preparation level.
The co-feature pits unbeaten Andres Cortes and former title challenger Abraham Nova in a scheduled ten-round junior lightweight contest.
There remains some work to get the bout over the line, however, after Cortes’ scale fail.
Las Vegas’ Cortes (21-0, KOs) weighed 130.8 pounds and will have two hours to get down to the 130-pound limit. Alternatively, his team can reach a deal with Nova for the fight to move forward.
Nova (23-2, 16 KOs) weighed 129.7 pounds in his first bout since a points loss to WBC 130-pound titlist O’Shaquie Foster (22-2, 12KOs)
Below are the weights for select undercard bouts.
10 rounds, middleweight
Troy Isley (12-0, 5 KOs), Alexandria, Virginia, 158.9 pounds
Javier Martinez (10-0-1, 3 KOs), Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 159.8 pounds
8 rounds, bantamweight
Floyd Diaz (11-0, 3 KOs), 117.8 pounds
Francisco Pedroza (18-11-2, 10 KOs), Tijuana, Mexico, 117 ½ pounds
8 rounds, junior lightweight
DJ Zamora (12-0, 9 KOs), Las Vegas, 131 ½ pounds
Jose Antonio Meza (9-9, 2 KOs), Durango, Mexico 131.2 pounds
6 rounds, junior bantamweight (116-pound contract limit)
Steven Navarro (1-0, 1 KO), 115.7 pounds
Juan Pablo Meza (7-3, 2 KOs), Conchali, Chile, 114.8 pounds
6 rounds, middleweight
Bryan Polaco (6-0, 4 KOs), Las Vegas via San Juan, Puerto Rico, 156 pounds
Richard Acevedo (6-0-1, 5 KOs), Oxnard, California via Topeka, Kansas 156.3 pounds
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