Oscar Valdez wants Miguel Berchelt. But he’ll have to get past veteran Jayson Velez first.
Valdez, the 29-year-old former featherweight titleholder from Mexico, will face Velez in a junior lightweight bout on July 21 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, his manager, Frank Espinoza, told ESPN.
“The fight is done, we’re excited about it,” Espinoza said. “Oscar is very happy to be back doing what he loves.”
Valdez (27-0, 21 KOs) successfully defended his 126-pound title six times before moving up to 130 for his last fight, in which last-minute replacement Adam Lopez dropped him in Round 2 before Valdez scored a seventh-round knockout.
Berchelt, a 130-pound titleholder, is considered one of the best fighters in the world. That’s the fight Valdez, the No. 1 contender, is targeting.
“That’s the fight we want next, that’s the one Oscar is aiming for,” Espinoza told ESPN. “We’re hoping that by the fall there can be crowds at fights, because we know how much fans are anticipating it.”
Velez (29-6-1, 21 KOs) was once a hot prospect. Now, at 32, the Puerto Rican is a wily veteran. He has generally given a good account of himself but has lost most of his biggest fights. He has never been stopped.
