Floyd Schofield is a long way from outgrowing the lightweight division.
The 22-year old from Austin, Texas was a trim and fit 134.4 pounds, as was Rene Tellez Giron for their 12-round DAZN headliner. Their bout tops a five-fight main card stream Saturday from Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Schofield (17-0, 12 knockouts) has consistently called for the toughest challenges. He overcame one in his last bout, when Esteuri Suero made things as uncomfortable as possible in their March 16 clash. Schofield won via fifth-round on the Vegas strip at The Cosmopolitan’s Chelsea Theater.
Giron (20-3, 13 KOs) has won three straight since a heartbreaking points loss to Jose Matias Romero last June in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 25-year-old from Queretaro, Mexico has come to shock the world.
“This guy is a little too confident, I need to humble him,” Giron insisted. “We know he’s the A-side, so we are here to knock him out.”
Schofield had plenty to say about that.
“Like I told my dad, ‘He’s trying to take food out your son’s mouth,’” Schofield told DAZN’s Beto Duran. “I’m a bit on edge this week.”
The co-feature saw Gabriela Fundora and Gabriela Alaniz enter well within the flyweight limit for their historic bout.
Fundora (14-0, 6 KOs), was a lean and physically mean 111 pounds in the third defense of her IBF belt. ‘Sweet Poison’ will attempt to become the sport’s youngest active undisputed champion on Saturday.
To do that, she must dethrone Argentina’s Alaniz (15-1, 6 KOs), The Ring/WBC/WBA/WBO champ. ‘La Chucky’ was significantly light at 110.4 pounds for the first defense of her unified championship reign.
Alaniz regained her WBO belt and won The Ring, WBC and WBA prizes in her April 27 decision victory over Marlen Esparza. Their bout was a rematch of their unification bout last July 8, where Esparza claimed a controversial majority decision.
Fundora already enters her fourth title fight in just over a year.
The 22-year-old southpaw from Coachella, California dethroned Arely Mucino last Oct. 21 in Inglewood, California. Two defenses followed, including a ten-round decision over Daniela Asenjo on Aug. 10 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.
Fundora’s older brother is Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) and has the chance to cap a banner year for her family. Fittingly, both career-best wins will have taken place in Vegas if so. Sebastian won the WBC and WBO titles in a March 30 split decision over Tim Tszyu at nearby T-Mobile Arena.
Saturday’s winner will become the first woman to claim undisputed status in the flyweight division.
DAZN remaining undercard, Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
Bektemir Melikuziev (14-1, 10 KOs), Shoimbek, Uzbekistan, 170 pounds
David Stevens (14-1, 10 KOs), Reading, Pennsylvania, 167.4 pounds
10 rounds, super middleweight
* Melikuziev is two pounds over the limit
Darius Fulghum (12-0, 10 KOs), Houston, Texas, 167 pounds
Christopher Pearson (17-4-1, 12 KOs), Selma, Texas, 166.4 pounds
10 rounds, super middleweight
Joel Iriarte (4-0, 4 KOs), Bakersfield, California, 146.4 pounds
Xavier Madrid (5-5, 2 KOs), Albuquerque, New Mexico, 147 pounds
6 rounds, welterweight
Golden Boy YouTube Prelims, Saturday, 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT.
Eric Tudor (11-1, 7 KOs), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 145.8 pounds
Harold Calderon (28-1, 19 KOs), Miami, Florida, 146.6 pounds
Asa Stevens (6-0, 2 KOs), Waianae, Hawaii, 125 pounds
Garen Diagan (10-4, 5 KOs), General Santos City, Philippines, [weight t/k]
6 rounds, featherweight
Dalis Kaleiopu (5-0, 4 KOs), Waianae, Hawaii, 130.8 pounds
Manuel Lerma (4-0, 0 KOs), Pharr, Texas, 131.8 pounds
6 rounds, junior lightweight
Jordan Fuentes (1-0, 0 KOs), Fresno, California, 119 pounds
Roberto Peña (4-4, KOs), McAllen, Texas, 119.8
4 rounds, bantamweight
Add comment