Oscar Valdez will reportedly challenge Emanuel Navarrete for the WBO Super Featherweight Championship in Glendale, Arizona on August 12, 2023. The fight is expected to headline a Top Rank event at Desert Diamond Arena on ESPN.
Valdez enters the bout following a decisive decision victory against Adam “Blue Nose” Lopez in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 20, 2023. The former super featherweight champion picked up wins against Miguel Berchelt, Robson Conceição and Jayson Vélez en route to a record of 30-0 with 23 knockouts. Ultimately, he suffered the lone defeat of his professional career at the hands of Shakur Stevenson last April in Las Vegas.
Valdez’s next opponent, Emanuel Navarrete, enters the bout with an unblemished record of 37-1 with 31 knockouts. Along the way, he beat the likes of Joet Gonzalez, Isaac Dogboe and Ruben Villa. In his super featherweight debut, he overcame an apparent deficit on the scorecards to stop Liam Wilson in the ninth round. Now, he will face arguably the toughest opponent of his career, Oscar Valdez, in a high-stakes title bout.
The upcoming super featherweight title clash is the second major fight of the month of August to be announced. One week earlier, former UFC star Nate Diaz will challenge Jake Paul in Dallas, Texas. With the month of July seemingly set for boxing, expect more August bouts to be announced in the near future.
