The WBO junior lightweight title will be on the line this weekend when champion Emanuel Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) makes the first defense of his title against top contender Oscar Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs). The 12-round fight will be held Saturday, August 12 from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
How to watch Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez
ESPN+ will handle the live stream with the fight card beginning at 8 p.m. ET and the main event expected to start around 11 p.m. ET.
Fighter history
Navarrete, the 28-year-old champion from San Juan Zitlatepec, Mexico has had world championships in three different weight classes. He had four successful defenses of the WBO featherweight title before moving up in weight. In his first fight at junior lightweight, Navarrete knocked out Liam Wilson in the ninth round to claim the WBO junior lightweight title. Navarrette is ranked as the second-best super featherweight in the world and a top 10 pound-for-pound boxer. His only loss came early in his career against Daniel Argueta, who came in overweight. Navarrete has won 32 consecutive fights and has an 81.6 percent knockout rate.
Valdez, 32, is making his debut at junior lightweight after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Shakur Stevenson for the unified super featherweight titles. Despite the loss to Stevenson, Valdez is still considered among the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world and is ranked No. 1 in junior lightweight according to Ring Magazine. Valdez, from Nogales, Mexico, had his best stretch as the WBO featherweight champion, where he made six title defenses. He recovered from his loss to Stevenson with a unanimous decision win over Adam Lopez on May 20. Valdez has a 74.2 knockout percentage.
Fight odds
Valdez is a slight -165 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. Navarrete is a +135 underdog.
Full card for Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez
- Main event: Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez, 12 rounds, for Navarrete’s WBO junior lightweight title
- Raymond Muratalla vs. Diego Torres, 10 rounds, lightweights
- Richard Torrez Jr. vs. Willie Jake Jr., 6 rounds, heavyweights
- Lindolfo Delgado vs. Jair Valtierra, 10 rounds, junior welterweights