The featherweight division simply acquired a bit extra fascinating. Prime Rank has introduced a “multi-fight promotional contract” with former featherweight title challenger Ruben Villa, who will make his promotional debut in an eight-rounder on their Could thirteenth Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Steven Butler present in Stockton.
Stable wins over Luis Alberto Lopez, Enrique Vivas, and Alexei Collado earned “Drac” (19-1, 6 KO) a 2020 shot at featherweight gold after Shakur Stevenson vacated his WBO title. Stated shot pitted him in opposition to Emanuel Navarrete, and although “Vaquero” dropped him twice en path to profitable a choice, Villa did handle to take at the very least 5 rounds on all three scorecards in what was arguably Navarrete’s hardest pre-Liam Wilson combat.
He’s fought simply as soon as since that 2020 defeat, scoring an April 2022 knockout of Horacio Garcia.
Villa remains to be simply 25 years previous and very gifted, the kind of fighter twho might make an impression among the many newly refurbished featherweight elite. I’m definitely eager to see him again in motion, although he’s acquired a number of individuals forward of him within the queue for an additional crack at Lopez.
Villa stated, “I’ve at all times dreamed of combating on ESPN constantly and being with Prime Rank to make the large fights. I wish to win a world title and to do it as quickly as attainable. I stay up for combating in Stockton, the place my hometown followers might be out in full drive.”