Edwin De Los Santos, the Dominican powerhouse, is gearing up for the fight of his life. At 24, this southpaw sensation is stepping up for his inaugural world title shot. His opponent? None other than Shakur Stevenson, the pound-for-pound celebrity in the boxing world. The stage is set for November 16 at the illustrious T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where these two will vie for the vacant WBC lightweight world title. Talk about an exciting Thursday night!
In a co-feature that’s just as thrilling, Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete is all set to defend his WBO junior lightweight title. His challenger? Robson Conceição from Brazil, a man who knows a thing or two about winning, given his Olympic gold.
Stevenson vs. De Los Santos, alongside Navarrete vs. Conceição, is not just a fight – it’s a spectacle.
Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs), hailing from Newark, New Jersey, has an impressive resume. Within just five years of turning pro, he grabbed two division titles. A silver medalist from the 2016 Olympics, Stevenson’s professional journey has been nothing short of spectacular. From besting Joet Gonzalez for the vacant WBO featherweight title in 2019 to conquering Jamel Herring and then Oscar Valdez, Stevenson is on a roll. His latest impressive win? A knockout of Japanese fighter Shuichiro Yoshino this past April.
Meanwhile, De Los Santos (16-1, 14 KOs) brings a storm of punches from the Dominican Republic. Starting his professional journey in 2018, he tallied 13 consecutive wins. Although he faced a setback against William Foster III, he bounced back beautifully, registering impressive victories in 2022. His reward? A golden chance to fight for the world title.
Navarrete (38-1, 31 KOs) is no stranger to world titles. After snatching the WBO junior featherweight crown from Isaac Dogboe in 2018 and defending it successfully five times, he climbed up the weight ladder. Recent wins against Liam Wilson and then Valdez prove he’s a force to be reckoned with. Looking forward, another title in a new weight division might just be in his sights.
As for Conceição (17-2, 8 KOs), he holds the distinction of being Brazil’s first Olympic boxing gold medalist. After narrowly missing out on the world title against Valdez in 2021 and giving Stevenson a respectable challenge, he’s back for another crack at boxing glory.
After a recent training session, De Los Santos shared his thoughts:
“This challenge is the toughest and most important of my career. Triumphing in this fight will transform my life. Shakur is a great champion, and I’m aware that it will take everything I’ve got to beat him. It’s a huge task, but it’s not unattainable.”
“My focus is laser-sharp on becoming world champion and bringing a world title back to the Dominican Republic. Defeating Shakur would be a historic achievement for Dominican boxing. That’s a huge source of motivation for me.”
Emiliano Fernando Vargas, an undefeated up-and-comer, gears up to step into the ring for a sizzling six-round bout at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, Nov. 16.
Remember the name Vargas? Yep, Emiliano is the prodigy of the former junior middleweight champ, Fernando Vargas. This young gun is set for his sixth showdown of the year in a lightweight fight, taking on another clean slate fighter, Cristian Olivares.
Since turning pro last May, Vargas, with an impressive 7-0 scorecard and 6 knockouts, has been making respectable waves. Signing with Top Rank later that year, this young dynamo’s been on fire! After settling the score with Francisco Duque in February, “El General” has a hat-trick of second-round wins to his name. Let’s not forget that stellar body shot KO against Rafael Jasso in May at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And boy, Alejandro Guardado would surely remember the third-round TKO. On the flip side, Olivares (10-0, 5 KOs) is walking into this fight, riding high on a unanimous decision win over Franco Facundo Huanque earlier this year.
Brian Norman Jr., boasting a stellar record of 24-0 with 19 knockouts, is set to square off against Quinton Randall, who has a respectable 13-0-1 and 3 KOs, in a sizzling 10-round welterweight fight. Norman has more than just talent; he has boxing heritage. His father, Brian Norman Sr., had a storied career in the light heavyweight division over 30 fights. The younger Norman is carving his own legacy with significant wins over Rodrigo Coria and Jesus Campos earlier this year. Meanwhile, Randall’s recent victories include a TKO against Terry Chatwood and a decisive fight against Willie Jones.
In what promises to be a fierce fight for the title of Las Vegas’ best, Floyd “Cashflow” Diaz, with an unblemished 9-0 record and 3 KOs, is taking on Max Ornelas, who stands at 15-1-1 with 5 KOs, in an eight-round junior featherweight fight. Diaz recently conquered Luis Fernando Saavedra, while Ornelas is hungry to bounce back from a debated split decision against Hector Valdez.
Troy Isley, a U.S. Olympian with an impressive 10-0, 4 KOs, is gearing up for a significant eight-round middleweight showdown with Mexico’s seasoned Vladimir Hernandez, who has 14 wins, 5 losses, and 6 KOs under his belt. Fresh from dominating performances against Roy Barringer and Antonio Todd, Isley is ready for this challenge. Hernandez, with his credible wins, is no pushover.
Young gun Abdullah Mason, at just 19 and holding a 10-0, 8 KO record, will step into the ring for his fifth fight this year, facing off against Texas-based Jose Cardenas in a six-round lightweight contest. Mason’s track record for 2023 has been impeccable with 4 wins, including three by knockout.
Las Vegas’ own Andres Cortes, an undefeated junior lightweight with a 20-0, 11 KOs record, will face a tough competitor in Nicaragua’s Freddy Fonseca in a 10-round contest. Cortes’ recent performance saw him deliver a spectacular seventh-round win over Xavier Martinez.
Lastly, Ablaikhan Zhussupov, an Olympian hailing from Kazakhstan with a fresh 4-0, 3 KO record, is gearing up for an eight-round welterweight fight, taking on Mark Dawson, who has an 11-1-1, 4 KO record.
ROBSON CONCEIÇÃO EYES TITLE IN THIRD FIGHT
Robson Conceição, Brazil’s Olympic golden boy, thinks it’s about time he struck gold again, but this time outside the amateur ring. It’s like déjà vu all over again for him, but with higher stakes and without the need to wear those fancy headguards. He’s set to try his luck for the third time in the world title casino when he throws down with Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, the man with the WBO junior lightweight belt slung over his shoulder. The showdown’s set for Thursday, Nov. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena, smack dab in the neon heart of Las Vegas.
This fight is the appetizer, mind you, to the main course—a vacant WBC lightweight title fight where Shakur Stevenson and Edwin De Los Santos will throw hands in what’s expected to be a dustup of seismic proportions. And if you can’t be there to smell the liniment and hear the leather pop, you can catch all the action live from your couch on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ while you’re sipping your favorite brew.
Conceição’s story is something else. He went from Brazil’s first Olympic boxing champ—talk about an exciting job application—to signing with Top Rank quicker than you can say “jab.” Back in 2021, he took a swing at the title against Oscar Valdez but came up short, though nobody could say he didn’t give it a proper go. Fast forward to last September, and he’s in the ring with Stevenson, trying to grab not one, but two belts. It didn’t go his way, but here he is again, hoping third time’s the charm.
Now, Navarrete, this guy’s been on a tear, with a streak longer than a Vegas buffet line—33 wins and counting. He’s also got this knack for collecting belts like they’re going out of style, across three divisions no less.
Conceição’s recent musings post-training session were, well, interesting. He’s got respect for Navarrete, calling him a great champ and a tough fighter. But then he drops the niceties and gets down to brass tacks—he wants that title, and he’s not coming to Vegas to roll dice or catch a magic show. He’s coming for that belt. He’s all about bringing that championship back to Brazil, expecting a party bigger than Carnival if he does.
