European welterweight champion Samuel Molina (32-3, 15 KOs) returns to his hometown bullring on August 2, staking his title against undefeated Belgian challenger Anas Messaoudi (17-0, 11 KOs) at Plaza de Toros La Malagueta. It will be the historic venue’s first boxing show since March 1979, when promoter Karim Heredia’s uncle José Luis Heredia captured a European belt on the same sand.
Molina, 26, is riding a run of hometown success - most recently a unanimous-decision defense over Sandy Messaoud in February. The Malaga native has already held Spanish titles at lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight, and he lifted the continental strap by edging Jordy Weiss on the road last October. A victory on August 2 would mark his second successful defense and further cement a remarkable comeback after earlier setbacks to Artem Harutyunyan, Francesco Patera and Franck Petitjean.
Messaoudi, 31, arrives with spotless credentials and World Series of Boxing experience. The Brussels boxer dominated Cedrick Peynaud for the Belgian title in 2020 and added an IBF regional belt by outpointing Miguel Parra in 2023. Fighting professionally outside Belgium for the first time, he now seeks to dethrone Molina and claim Europe’s 147-pound crown at a venue steeped in Spanish sporting history.
Big undercard backs the main event. Local favorite José Luis Navarro Jr. (15-2, 10 KOs) meets France’s Mustapha Zaoche (16-1, 6 KOs) over 12 rounds, while once-beaten lightweight Rafael Acosta (14-1, 5 KOs) faces durable Italian Giuseppe Carafa (20-6-2, 3 KOs) in another scheduled 12. For Malaga’s fight fans, the summer spectacle promises a night where new chapters are written on the very sand once ruled by matadors—and, in 1979, by a Heredia with European gold.
Fight card:
▪️Samuel Molina vs. Anas Messaoudi, 12 rounds, for the EBU European welterweight title
▪️Rafael Acosta vs. Giuseppe Carafa, 12 rounds, lightweight
▪️Mohammed Sahnoun vs. Jesus Bravo, 8 rounds, welterweight
▪️Adonis Bell Iznaga vs. Miguel Galvan, 6 rounds, heavyweight
▪️Pablo Valverde vs. Eduardo Valverde, 6 rounds, super lightweight
▪️Pascual Finamore vs. Moises Garcia, 4 rounds, super lightweight
▪️Victoria Emma Lomax vs. Paula Sanchez, 4 x 2 rounds, super featherweight
▪️Jonny Martinov vs. Cristian Avila, 4 rounds, lightweight
