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Miguel Berchelt To Defend
Super Featherweight World Title Against Oscar Valdez Feb. 20
On ESPN
The 2021 Fight of the Year race has officially started, as
Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez will face off in one of the
most anticipated all-Mexican fistic showdowns in years.
Cancun’s Berchelt will defend his WBC super featherweight
world title against Nogales native Valdez in a special Top
Rank on ESPN telecast Saturday, Feb. 20.
The 10-round super featherweight co-feature will see rising
20-year-old Gabriel Flores Jr. against former world champion
Andrew “El Chango” Cancio.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions,
Berchelt-Valdez and Flores-Cancio will be televised live on
ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
“Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez are two proud Mexican
warriors who will give boxing fans a memorable fight,” said
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Top Rank promoted all three
bouts between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, and I
view Berchelt-Valdez as this generation’s Barrera-Morales."
Berchelt (38-1, 34 KOs) has held the WBC super featherweight
title since January 2017, when he knocked out Francisco
Vargas in the 11th round. His last five title defenses have
ended via the quick route, including a ninth-round TKO over
Miguel Roman, a sixth-round TKO over Vargas in their May
2019 rematch, and a fourth-round knockout over former world
champion Jason Sosa. He fought last June in a non-title bout
and knocked out Eleazar Valenzuela in six one-sided rounds.
“This fight is the one that I dreamed of since we were both
amateur fighters,” Berchelt said. “Valdez is a great
fighter, and it will be a great fight. I am preparing with
everything to win by knockout and leave no doubt that I am
the best super featherweight in the world."
Valdez (28-0, 22 KOs) is a two-time Mexican Olympian who
vacated the WBO featherweight world title last year after
six title defenses, which included scintillating 12-round
barnburners against the likes of Scott Quigg, Genesis
Servania and Miguel Marriaga. He suffered a severely broken
jaw against Quigg in March 2018, returned 11 months later,
and has since won four consecutive bouts. Since moving up to
130 pounds, Valdez has scored stoppage wins over Adam Lopez
and Jayson Velez.
Valdez said, "Whenever there are two Mexicans in the ring,
it is a guaranteed war, and it will be an honor for me to
bring a great war to my fans."
Flores (19-0, 6 KOs), from Stockton, Calif., signed a
professional contract with Top Rank at 16 years old and went
3-0 in 2020 as he graduated from prospect to contender. He
started the year Feb. 22 on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II
undercard and dominated Matt Conway over eight rounds.
Flores shined on a pair of occasions inside the MGM Grand
Las Vegas Bubble, winning decisions over Josec Ruiz and Ryan
Kielczweski. Flores now steps up against Cancio (21-5-2, 16
KOs), a fellow Californian who formerly held the WBA super
featherweight world title. Cancio knocked out Alberto
Machado in February 2019 to win the title and repeated the
deed with another knockout over Machado that June. Rene
Alvarado ended Cancio’s ascension with a seventh-round
knockout in November 2019, and early last year, Cancio inked
a promotional contract with Top Rank.
"My main goal is to win a world title,” Flores said.
“Dominating a former world champion will put me in a great
position to challenge for a title soon.”
Cancio said, “I’m very excited to return to battle on
February 20 against Gabriel Flores Jr. I’m working hard in
the gym, and I know that this fight is the first on my path
to becoming a two-time world champion. I would like to thank
my fans, who have been so incredibly supportive. I’ve heard
you loud and clear and can’t wait to put on another great
show for you.”
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