Mexico’s three-division champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete makes his latest defense of the WBO junior lightweight world title against unbeaten Filipino contender Charly Suarez on Saturday at Pechanga Arena San Diego. The event, promoted by Top Rank, also features a vacant interim IBF lightweight world title showdown between Southern California’s Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) and Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-1, 12 KOs). Both fights will air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+.
Navarrete, 28, returns to the same venue where he suffered a split-decision setback in a bid to become a four-division world champion at 135 pounds last May. Having moved back down to 130, he rekindled his form in December by stopping Oscar Valdez over six one-sided rounds. Suarez, an accomplished Olympian for the Philippines, has turned heads with notable wins, including a last-round stoppage of Paul Fleming in March 2023. Now, he aims to join an elite list of Filipino world titleholders.
Watch Navarrete vs. Valdez highlights: Watch
The co-feature sees local favorite Muratalla, 26, chasing the interim IBF lightweight crown after rising steadily in the rankings with wins over heavy hitters Jeremia Nakathila and Tevin Farmer. Abdullaev, meanwhile, has rattled off nine straight victories since his lone defeat to Devin Haney in 2019, including statements over former three-weight champion Jorge Linares and ex-WBC titleholder Dejan Zlatičanin.
Watch Muratalla vs. Farmer highlights: Watch
An ESPN+-streamed undercard includes San Diego’s own Giovani Santillan (33-1, 18 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight clash with Angel Beltran (18-2-1, 11 KOs), among other regional talents.
Fight card:
▪️Emanuel Navarrete vs. Charly Suarez, 12 rounds, for the WBO World Junior Lightweight title
▪️Raymond Muratalla vs. Zaur Abdullaev, 12 rounds, for the interim IBF World Lightweight title
▪️Giovani Santillan vs. Angel Beltran, 10 rounds, welterweight
