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IBF World Champion Yokasta Valle To Face WBO World
Champion Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen On Sept. 8
Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN goes international on
Thursday, September 8 for the first-ever world title
unification fight in Costa Rica live on DAZN and the Golden
Boy Boxing Youtube Page. Newly signed Golden Boy fighter and
IBF Minimumweight World Champion, Yokasta “Yoka” Valle
(25-2, 9 KOs), of San Jose, Costa Rica is set to put
everything on the line when she faces off against
undefeated, WBO Minimumweight World Champion Thi Thu Nhi
Nguyen (5-0, 1 KOs) of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The
10-round world championship fight will take place at Cuidad
Deportiva Heiner Ugalde, Hatillo, San José, Costa Rica and
stream live on DAZN and on the Golden Boy Boxing Youtube
page starting at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET.
“When I signed with Golden Boy I thought that there could be
nothing better, my childhood dream was coming true. But it
turns out that with the hand of God and the support of Óscar
de la Hoya and Golden Boy, today I am surprised once again,
with the opportunity to be able to show the world that Costa
Rica supports its athletes. I can promise all of my fans and
Costa Rica that I will give the fight of my life against a
great rival, the WBO World Champion Thi Nguyen, who is an
internationally recognized boxer,” said Yokasta Valle.
“I know this fight is going to be a war of champion versus
champion, unifying world titles, all or nothing! The only
difference is that she is going to have to come to my house
to face a ‘Yoka’ more motivated than ever! With the support
of my people who I am sure will make their presence known
with their incredible support. I WILL MAKE THE HOUSE TO BE
RESPECTED!!!” continued Yokasta Valle.
“I am very excited about this fight and the opportunity to
be a unified world champion,” said Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen. “I am
going to win this fight no matter what. I will be the hero
of Vietnam, it is my honor to represent my country and the
women of my country. I have been training every day to make
this an exciting, action filled fight and deliver a KO
victory.”
Ranked as one of the best female 105-pounders by ESPN.com
and The Ring Magazine, Yokasta Valle is a world champion in
two weight classes. She captured the IBF Atomweight World
Title in 2016 and has held the IBF Minimumweight World
Championship since 2019. The Costa Rican fighter has been
undefeated since 2018 and has made five successful world
title defenses. Valle was named 2021’s “Female Fighter of
the Year” by the International Boxing Federation. Now, the
world champion is looking to unify the division against any
world champion up for the challenge.
In 2021, Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen made history as Vietnam’s first
boxing world champion when she captured the WBO
Minimumweight World Championship against Japan’s Etsuko
Tada. Her burgeoning boxing career was a surprise to most
boxing spectators as Nguyen has been able to prove to the
world that she is a force to be reckoned within the sport.
Her first big opportunity came in 2020, Nguyen when defeated
Kanyarat Yoohanngoh and captured the vacant WBO Asia Pacific
Minimumweight title, something that set her up for the world
championship face off against Etsuko Tada in 2021. Nguyen,
was able to use boxing as her avenue out of poverty in Ho
Chi Minh City, but as a result, also faced tough criticism
as boxing and athletics in general are not cultural norms
for women in Vietnam. Now, considered an icon of national
pride, the world champion is paving the way for women in
boxing and sports in Vietnam.
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