Courtesy Emma Keider
Desert Diamond Arena
A former two-division world champion will make his ring return in familiar territory and an undisputed four-belt queen will be crowned for the first time in the minimumweight division.
Former champion Oscar Valdez from Mexico will face Australian former world title challenger Liam Wilson in a special 10-round junior lightweight attraction on Friday, March 29 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
In the co-feature, WBC/WBA/Ring Magazine champion Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada and WBO/IBF ruler Yokasta Valle collide in a showdown for the undisputed minimumweight crown. The war of words between the two world champs culminates in a 12-round fight presented in association with Golden Boy Promotions and MarvNation Promotions.
Valdez-Wilson & Estrada-Valle headline a card streaming live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2 via Ticketmaster.com. The card is promoted by Top Rank, in association with No Limit Boxing.
“The Arizona fight fans are passionate and knowledgeable, and we have an incredible event in store at Desert Diamond Arena,” stated Top Rank chairman Bob Arum in a press release. “Oscar Valdez is the consummate Mexican fighter, and he is facing a skilled, all-action Aussie in Liam Wilson. The undisputed title fight featuring two of the sport’s most skilled women is main event-worthy as well. There is no love lost between Seniesa and Yokasta, a long-standing rivalry that promises to deliver in the ring.”
Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs), the fighting pride of Nogales, represented his country at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He won world titles in two weight classes, defeating Matias Rueda to capture the WBO featherweight title in 2016 and knocking out Miguel Berchelt in February 2021 to earn the WBC junior lightweight strap.
After a competitive fight against Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição, Valdez suffered his first pro loss in a unification battle against Shakur Stevenson in April 2022. He bounced back with a decision victory against Adam Lopez in May before suffering a points loss against Emanuel Navarrete at Desert Diamond Arena last August.
“This fight against Liam Wilson means everything to me. It’s every boxer’s dream to become a world champion, so I have to get past this challenge so I can fight for a world title again. I respect Liam Wilson, but in the ring, I’m going to do everything possible to walk away victorious.” Valdez stated.
Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) is a five-year pro who went 9-0 before his first defeat against Joe Noynay in July 2021. He avenged the loss by knocking out Noynay in March 2022. Three months later, he beat Rueda.
Wilson then made his U.S. debut versus Navarrete for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title last February at Desert Diamond Arena. Wilson dropped Navarrete and almost scored the upset in the fourth round before being stopped in the ninth. He rebounded with triumphs over Carlos Alanis in August and Jackson Jon England in December.
“Valdez is exactly the fight I wanted and deserve after what I went through against Navarrete. The history books show that he beat both of us last year, but this time around we won’t need the officials. Valdez is a good fighter, a tough man, but after what I’ve been through already and what I plan on bringing, I believe he’s going to regret taking this fight,” Wilson stated.
Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs), a fighter across three weight divisions, claimed an interim flyweight title against Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza in a 2019 bout. Two years later, she secured the WBA minimumweight and WBO light flyweight belts, defeating Anabel Ortiz and Tenkai Tsunami.
Estrada vacated her light flyweight title to move up to minimumweight. She signed with Top Rank in 2022, and shut out Jazmin Gala Villarino that November.
She picked up the WBC strap against the previously unbeaten Tina Rupprecht in March 2023.
“Yokasta is not on my level and undeservingly carried those belts for too long,” Estrada stated. “Yokasta, her promoter, and her trainer have had a lot to say. On March 29, I’m going to shut them all up. I’m leaving Arizona with all the belts and will continue to prove why I’m a pound-for-pound champion.”
Valle (30-2, 9 KOs) seized the vacant IBF atomweight world title by overcoming Ana Victoria Polo in December 2016. After an interim title loss to Rupprecht in June 2018, she snatched the IBF minimumweight world title from Joana Pastrana in August 2019.
Valle added the WBO title to her collection with a win over Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen in September 2022 and has defended her unified crown four times.
“I am over the moon that Seniesa finally said yes to this big fight. In reality, she had no other option because we chased after her so much. She had no alternative but to face me because the great fans of this sport demanded this fight. Boxing fans can expect a great fight. Once I get into the ring, I am going to give the performance of a lifetime,” Valle stated.
The undercard features lightweight contender Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (19-0, 16 KOs) fighting Argentina’s Agustin Ezequiel Quintana (19-2-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Muratalla won three times last year culminating with a stoppage against then-unbeaten Diego Torres in eight rounds in November.
U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs) looks to retain his 100 percent knockout ratio in an eight-round tilt against Don Haynesworth (18-8-1, 16 KOs). The rising heavyweight earned four victories last year, capped by a eighth-round TKO of veteran Curtis Harper in December.
Lightweight prodigy Emiliano Fernando Vargas (8-0, 7 KOs), the youngest son of former world champion Fernando Vargas, locks horns with Nelson Hampton (10-8, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder. Vargas went 6-0 with five knockouts last year.
Phoenix native Sergio Rodriguez (10-0-1, 8 KOs) faces Sanny Duversonne (12-6-2, 9 KOs) in a six-round middleweight contest.
Ricardo Ruvalcaba (11-0-1, 9 KOs) will see action in a six-round junior welterweight fight.