Ricardo Sandoval is going to make the most of an opportunity this time around, especially with a possible title shot on the line.
Sandoval, rated No. 6 by The Ring at 112, meets former 108-pound titlist Angel Acosta in a ten-round flyweight contest. The matchup will precede the main event between lightweight contender William Zepeda and Giovanni Cabrera.
Both fights will stream live on DAZN this Saturday (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT) from Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.
At Friday’s weigh-in, Sandoval weighed in at 111.8 pounds. Acosta came in at 111.6 pounds.
Sandoval (24-2, 17 knockouts), who resides in nearby Rialto, fights for the second time in 2024. He stopped former world title challenger Carlos Buitrago after eight round son March 30 in Inglewood, California. The win over Buitrago took place over five months after Sandoval defeated Victor Sandoval by unanimous decision.
The 25-year-old has won his last four bouts since a close majority decision defeat to David Jimenez. Sandoval was knocked down in in the eleventh round after a strong first half.
After the win over Sandoval, Jimenez unsuccessfully challenged then-WBA world titleholder Artem Dalakian. Sandoval learned a lesson from the Jimenez fight and won’t make those mistakes versus Acosta.
“In that fight, I went off the game plan,” Sandoval told The Ring. “I had hurt him to the body earlier in the fight. I knew I was hurting him. It led me to only throwing hard punches, especially to the body. My corner was telling me to box more, and I didn’t listen.
“For this fight, I’m going to listen to my corner and stick to the game plan.”
Puerto Rico’s Acosta (24-4, 22 KOs), who resides in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a former world titleholder at 108 pounds. The San Juan native has split his last four bouts, including losses to then-WBO world flyweight titleholder Junto Nakatani and Angelino Cordova.
Sandoval believes his sparring with elite, world championship talent will be the difference between a win and a defeat.
“I sparred against (Roman) ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and (Jesse) ‘Bam’ Rodriguez,” said Sandoval, who has regularly fought on Golden Boy shows since 2019. “I also sparred (former world strawweight titleholder) Carlos Licona. Sparring ‘Chocolatito’ was great. It was beneficial. He pushes you and he throws a lot of punches. It was definitely a learning experience.
“With ‘Bam,’ he’s a lefty. So, sparring him made it easier for me to fight southpaws in the future.”
Sandoval will have the advantage of a partisan crowd tonight, but he has faced adversity in recent fights. He has fought throughout Southern California, Mexico and in the United Kingdom.
In June 2021, Sandoval stopped once-beaten Jay Harris on the road in Bolton, England. Sandoval believes moments like that prepared him for the likes of Acosta and other top flyweights in the division.
“I believe I’ve proved I am a top contender,” said Sandoval. “I fought across the world, even as an amateur. I’ve faced different styles. I’m ready to fight the best fighters in the world.”
Despite the setback to Jimenez, Sandoval still believes he is one of the best fighters in the division. With a lot on the line against Acosta, Sandoval believes he is currently at his best and will be victorious.
“I think I’m up there. I’ve put in the work and I’m ready for a world title shot. I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole career. I’m very excited and motivated. There’s a WBC [regional] title on the line.
“I’m willing to fight anyone. I’m ready for a big fight.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at santio89@yahoo.com
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