The first three additions were made to Netflix’s Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford undercard on Monday.
The pound-for-pound stars clash for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight championship Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, but before they step into the ring, a pair of top contenders will be looking to bolster their position for a shot at the main-event winner.
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In a battle of knockout artists, France’s Christian Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) defends his WBC interim super middleweight title against unbeaten Guatemalan Lester Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs).
Mbilli captured the interim 168-pound belt with an opening-round triumph over Maciej Sulęcki in June.
Martinez hasn’t fought since knocking out then-undefeated Joeshon James in March. Martinez was supposed to return in July against Pierre Hubert Dibombe but was forced to withdraw due to migraine headaches.
Mbilli and Martinez have a common foe: Carlos Gongora. Both men were extended to the 10-round distance against Gongora, although Mbilli had a much tougher time. While Martinez won a fairly comfortable decision, Mbilli was twice rocked by uppercuts from Gongora when they met in 2023 and only narrowly avoided tasting the canvas on both occasions.
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Elsewhere on the card, Dana White-backed Irishman Callum Walsh (14-0, 11 KOs) will face fellow unbeaten prospect Fernando Vargas Jr. (17-0, 15 KOs).
Walsh has been steadily building his record on New York shows, which air on UFC Fight Pass, but a win over Vargas will surely catapult him into the title picture at super welterweight — and cement Walsh’s position as a figurehead of TKO’s boxing efforts.
Vargas, the son of two-division champion Fernando Vargas, has been fighting away from the spotlight that a second-generation boxer would benefit from. He has stayed active on club shows mostly in California since turning professional in 2020 and has put together a 17-0 record.
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Rounding out the card, Saudi Arabian prospect Mohammed Alakel (4-0) will meet John Ornelas (5-2-1, 2 KOs) over six rounds at lightweight. Alakel is also scheduled to fight Yumnam Santos Singh on Saturday in Riyadh on the Moses Itauma vs. Dillian Whyte undercard.
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