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Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Abraham Montoya Added To Ramirez
vs. Pedraza Mar. 4 Card In Fresno, Ca.
Gabriel Flores Jr. is aiming for a fresh start in Fresno.
The 21-year-old junior lightweight hopes to bounce back from
his first career defeat in a 10-round bout against Mexican
veteran Abraham Montoya on Friday, March 4 at Save Mart
Center.
Flores and Montoya will do battle underneath the junior
welterweight main event between former unified champion Jose
Ramirez and two-weight world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza.
The entire Ramirez-Pedraza card will stream live and
exclusively in the United States on ESPN+.
“The mission I’m on is personal, and I will be a world
champion,” Flores said. “I am more motivated than ever, and
I will have answers for whatever Montoya brings.”
Flores (20-1, 7 KOs), who hails from Stockton, California,
will have a sizable cheering section make the roughly
two-hour drive to Fresno. Last September in Tucson, Arizona,
he suffered his first career defeat, a one-sided unanimous
decision loss to Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez. Flores
showed his mettle over 10 rounds, fighting back in the face
of Lopez’s relentless onslaught. Signed by Top Rank as a
16-year-old, Flores was flawless throughout the first
four-plus years of his pro career. In February 2020, he
became only the second man to knock out Puerto Rican
contender Jayson Velez.
Montoya (20-2-1, 14 KOs), from Mexicali, Mexico, is an
eight-year pro with a knack for upsetting undefeated
prospects. In March 2018, he bested Luis Alberto Lopez (12-0
at the time) by split decision. Last February, he upset
undefeated prospect Alejandro Guerrero by majority decision.
He has won two fights since a November 2019 decision defeat
to top contender Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov.
Flores Jr. vs. Montoya joins a packed undercard that
includes featherweight contender Joet Gonzalez (24-2, 14
KOs) against Jeo Santisima (21-3, 18 KOs) in a 10-rounder,
the six-round heavyweight professional debut of U.S. Olympic
silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr., rising junior
lightweight Karlos Balderas (11-1, 10 KOs) in an
eight-rounder, lightweight prospect Charlie Sheehy (1-0, 1
KO) in a four-rounder, 6’9 heavyweight Antonio “El Gigante”
Mireles (2-0, 2 KOs) in a four-rounder, and middleweight
prospect Javier “Milwaukee Made” Martinez (5-0, 2 KOs) in a
six-rounder.
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