Miguel Berchelt defends his WBC junior lightweight title against Oscar Valdez on Saturday in Las Vegas on ESPN.
MIGUEL BERCHELT (37-1, 33 KOs)
VS. OSCAR VALDEZ (28-0, 22 KOs)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 20
Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in the show)
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
TV/Stream: ESPN
Division: Junior lightweight (130 pounds)
At stake: Berchelt’s WBC title
Pound-for-pound ranking: Berchelt, Honorable Mention
Odds: Berchelt 3-1 favorite
Also on the card: Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Jayson Velez, junior lightweights
Prediction: Berchelt KO 10
Background: The Mexicans were scheduled to meet in December but the bout was postponed after Berchelt tested positive for COVID-19. Berchelt will be making the seventh defense of the belt he won by stopping Francisco Vargas in the 11
th round of a classic brawl in January 2017. The 29-year-old, a terrific boxer who can also end any fight in an instant, has stopped his past five official opponents. He was last in the ring this past June, when he knocked out Eleazar Valenzuela in six rounds in Mexico City. However, the fight wasn’t sanctioned as a result of coronavirus restrictions. Thus, the result is not recognized. Valdez, a 30-year-old who lives in the Los Angeles area, is a former 126-pound beltholder who will be fighting for a 130-pound title for the first time. He’s coming off a solid performance against Jayson Velez this past July, putting the Puerto Rican veteran down three times and stopping him in the 10
th and final round. That was his second fight at 130 pounds. Valdez has been training alongside Canelo Alvarez in the camp of Eddy Reyenoso.
