Two high-stakes matchups might be featured on the Prime Rank on ESPN+ PPVundercard headlined by the undisputed light-weight showdown between Devin “The Dream” Haney and Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko on Saturday, Might 20 on the MGM Grand Backyard Area in Las Vegas.
The ten-round junior light-weight co-feature will see former two-division world champion Oscar Valdez taking over Adam “BluNose” Lopez in a rematch of their 2019 battle.
Within the PPV opener, rising light-weight Raymond “Hazard” Muratalla takes a giant step up in competitors versus big-punching Namibian contender Jeremia Nakathila in a 10-round conflict.
Haney vs. Lomachenko will stream stay on Prime Rank on ESPN+ PPV, the occasion’s unique digital distributor in america, starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Moreover, will probably be accessible through cable and satellite tv for pc pay-per-view suppliers and might be priced at $59.99 throughout all distributors.
Promoted by Prime Rank, in affiliation with Devin Haney Promotions and DiBella Leisure, tickets beginning at $104, plus relevant service prices, are on sale now at axs.com.
Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) of Nogales, Mexico, represented his nation within the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. As a professional, he captured the WBO featherweight world title towards Matias Rueda in 2016 and made six defenses. In 2019, he fought Lopez in his first battle at junior light-weight, rising off the canvas earlier than stopping him in controversial style within the seventh spherical. Valdez would go on to defeat Jayson Velez earlier than scoring a shocking Tenth-round knockout over Miguel Berchelt to seize the WBC junior light-weight title. The 32-year-old suffered his first defeat in a unification battle at MGM Grand Backyard Area towards Shakur Stevenson final April, and a 12 months later, he’s prepared for one more run at a 130-pound title.
Valdez stated, “I really feel very glad to lastly be returning to the place the place I most wish to be, which is contained in the ring, after a one-year absence from boxing. I really feel glad to lastly be returning. I’m very motivated, greater than ever, to proceed my dream to as soon as once more turn out to be a world champion. That’s my aim this 12 months.
“To be able to try this, I’ve to get previous this impediment, which isn’t going to be straightforward. I’m going to be going through somebody that I fought in 2019 in Adam Lopez, an skilled opponent who even despatched me to the canvas within the early rounds of our first battle. I can not take him calmly, and that’s making me prepare tougher now. I’ve to get previous this battle to have the ability to battle the present champion, Emanuel ‘El Vaquero’ Navarrete.”
Lopez (16-4, 6 KOs) is a 26-year-old native of Glendale, California, who has the game in his bloodline. His father, the late Hector Lopez, captured a silver medal for Workforce Mexico on the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Lopez earned a Prime Rank contract along with his off-the-canvas knockout victory over Jean Carlos Rivera in Might 2019. Following the Rivera victory, he fought Valdez on a day’s discover after Valdez’s authentic opponent was greater than 10 kilos obese. Lopez is 3-2 with a no contest for the reason that first Valdez battle, together with hard-fought resolution victories over Louie Coria and Jason Sanchez.
Lopez stated, “He ought to have picked another person. He barely acquired away the primary time round. This time, will probably be clear that I’m the higher fighter. I’m coming to get mine again Might 20.”
Muratalla (17-0, 14 KOs) is the most recent standout to return out of the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy. He debuted in 2016 in Mexico and made his U.S. debut in 2018. Muratalla has stopped 12 of his final 13 opponents and shined on the MGM Grand Backyard Area final April with a 3rd spherical stoppage over Jeremy Hill. The native of Fontana, California, returns lower than two months since his ninth-round knockout win over Humberto Galindo in March. Muratalla survived a first-round knockdown to dominate Galindo.
“That is my time. That is my second,” Muratalla stated. “I’ve been asking for this battle for a very long time, and I’m thrilled it’s happening on such a big card. Nakathila is a harmful fighter, however that may solely gasoline me to placed on a sensational efficiency.”
Nakathila (23-2, 19 KOs) is a 32-year-old former title challenger from the South African nation of Namibia. He made his professional debut in 2013 and went 11-0 in his house nation earlier than touring to Russia to face Evgeny Chuprakov in his first regional title alternative. Following his first loss, the hard-hitting Nakathila bounced again with 10 knockout wins earlier than securing a shot at Shakur Stevenson for the interm WBO title at 130 kilos. Nakathila is coming off two stoppage victories, together with a brutal sixth-round demolition over Berchelt.
Nakathila stated, “I’m excited to return to Las Vegas to present Muratalla a boxing lesson he’ll always remember. The expertise might be precious for his profession, although, and I hope he’s prepared as a result of I’ve each intention of taking good care of enterprise identical to I did the final time I used to be there. It’s an incredible alternative, and I’m glad to be again within the ring once more on such a horny card.”
