Venue: Meta APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
Prelims begin at 6:00 PM ET, with the main card airing live on Paramount+ at 9:00 PM ET. This featherweight opener is expected to have ring walks around 9:00–9:15 PM ET.
Fighter Matchup and Styles
Azat Hovhannisyan (“Crazy A”, Armenia/USA, age 37, 5’6″ / 168 cm, reach 66.5″ / 169 cm, fighting out of Los Angeles, California) is a relentless pressure fighter and one of the division’s biggest punchers (17 KOs in 22 wins). He brings explosive power, body attack, and high-volume aggression but can be hittable when pressing forward.
Eduardo Baez (“Fantastico” / “El Gemelo”, Mexico/USA, age 30, 5’9″ / 175 cm, reach 70″ / 178 cm, fighting out of Calexico, California) is a tall, technical southpaw-orthodox hybrid with excellent range management, durability, and counter-punching. He relies on footwork, jab control, and late-round resilience but lacks one-punch finishing power (only 10 KOs).
This is a classic power puncher vs. durable technician clash with bad blood noted in fight-week promotions (family ties and camp tension mentioned). No prior head-to-head. Hovhannisyan has the Las Vegas home-crowd edge on a high-profile Zuffa card, while Baez travels as the live underdog looking to exploit reach and survive the early storms.
Recent Form
Azat Hovhannisyan (22-6, 17 KOs, 1-fight win streak):
Jan 23/26, 2026: UD 8 vs. Aidos Medet (Thunder Studios, Long Beach – solid rebound win).
May 10, 2025: UD 10 loss vs. Sebastian Hernandez Reyes (Pechanga Arena, San Diego).
Strong finishing pedigree historically; the Medet win showed improved patience after a three-fight skid earlier in 2025.
Eduardo Baez (25-7-2, 10 KOs, 2-fight win streak):
Nov 25/29, 2025: SD 10 vs. Alex Dilmaghani (MISA Cannt Lahore – gritty regional win).
May 25/31, 2025: TKO 4 vs. Angel Martinez Castillo (Palenque Fex, Mexicali). Baez has been active and successful in 2025 against solid regional opposition, winning almost exclusively by decision or late stoppage while showcasing durability.
Fight History Summary
Hovhannisyan (pro since ~2013) is a former world-title challenger (WBC super bantamweight) with elite power and experience against top competition, though recent inconsistency (losses to Hernandez, Picasso, etc.) shows age is a factor at 37. Baez (pro since ~2014) has 34+ bouts of veteran savvy, including wins over quality regional foes and a lone high-level loss to Emanuel Navarrete. This is a step-up in visibility for Baez and a potential rebound platform for Hovhannisyan.
Injury Report
No reported injuries for either fighter as of April 3, 2026. Both have completed full training camps with no public setbacks, weigh-in concerns, or medical issues noted in fight-week media, press conferences, or promotional updates. Hovhannisyan and Baez are confirmed medically cleared and appear healthy heading into the bout.
FIGHT ODDS
Azat Hovhannisyan – 185
Eduardo Baez + 145
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, April 4, 2026
