Oscar Valdez: “This will definitely be a war!”
The former two division world champion, Oscar Valdez, will take on Australian puncher Liam Wilson in a special 12-round junior lightweight attraction on Friday, March 29 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
In the co-feature, WBC/WBA/Ring Magazine champion Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada and WBO/IBF ruler Yokasta Valle will collide in a highly anticipated showdown for the undisputed minimumweight crown.
Valdez-Wilson & Estrada-Valle headline a stacked card streaming live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) is a two-time Mexican Olympian who captured the WBO featherweight title in 2016 by knocking out Matias Rueda. After six defenses, he moved up to junior lightweight, where he knocked out Miguel Berchelt in February 2021 to earn the WBC strap.
Following a close fight against Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição, Valdez suffered his first pro loss in a unification showdown against Shakur Stevenson in April 2022. The fighting pride of Nogales bounced back with a points win in a rematch against Adam Lopez in May 2023 before suffering a decision loss against Emanuel Navarrete last August. Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) returns following two victories in Australia after a stoppage loss in a world title showdown against Navarrete in February 2023.
Following a recent training session in San Diego, California, this is what Valdez had to say:
“This is definitely a crossroads fights because it will determine who gets closer to a world title opportunity. My goal for 2024 is to be a world champion again. I miss being a world champion. Boxing is my life. If you are not striving to be the best, then what are you doing in this sport? I always train hard to be the best. So, this fight means everything because winning this fight will put me one step closer to a world title shot.
“Liam Wilson is a tough fighter. I was there when he fought Emanuel Navarrete. He’s the kind of fighter who doesn’t give up. You can’t count out a fighter like that, so I’m taking this very seriously. I know it’s not going to be an easy. But nothing is impossible. Every fighter is beatable. You just have to go in there with a smart game plan.
“Fighting in Arizona means a lot to me because I know a lot of people from all over Sonora, Mexico, will be there as well as a lot of people from Tucson, Phoenix and all over Arizona. So it means everything, especially because of my last fight. I wanted to give the fans a good fight, and we lost. I was heartbroken because I wanted to give the fans a good fight and the victory. That wasn’t the case, so this is my chance again.
“After seeing him in there with Navarrete and knowing my style, this will definitely be war. It will be a fan-friendly fight. I’ve seen that he has a lot of heart when he fought Navarrete. But we’re going to see who has more heart and who wants it more.”
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with No Limit Boxing, tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.