Oscar Valdez, the former two-division world champion, is set to challenge Emanuel Navarrete for his WBO super featherweight title on August 12 on ESPN at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Dan Rafael broke the news of the matchup, and it’s possible that it could be a pay-per-view event since it’s a significant fight for both fighters.
Navarrete and Valdez are showing signs of deterioration, and the former came dangerously close to being knocked out in his last fight against Liam Wilson. A referee’s intervention after Navarrete’s mouthpiece fell allowed him to survive the fourth round and avoid knock-out.
Valdez, on the other hand, looked like a shadow of his former self in his last fight against Adam Lopez, whom he beat by a unanimous decision. Even though Valdez won the fight, his struggles show how much he has slipped as a fighter.
Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez is a closely contested match, and whoever shows up on the night will win. However, both fighters should avoid world champions O’Shaquie Foster, Joe Cordina, Hector Garcia, and the much talented Robeisy Ramirez and Lomachenko.
“We all want [Navarrete],” said Oscar Valdez about the upcoming matchup. “Nothing but respect for him. He’s a great champion.”