Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz will defend his interim WBC junior welterweight title against Nestor Bravo on September 19 at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
Cruz won the interim WBC belt with a unanimous decision over late replacement Omar Salcido in July and will compete for the first time under new trainer Eddy Reynoso. The former WBA champion is looking to rebuild momentum after losing his title to Jose Valenzuela and later drawing with Lamont Roach Jr.
Watch Pitbull vs. Roach Jr. highlights: Watch
Bravo returned from his first professional defeat by scoring a second-round knockout of Pedro Campa in January. The Puerto Rican challenger believes his versatility can trouble Cruz’s aggressive, come-forward style in another Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry fight.
The co-main event will feature interim WBC middleweight champion Jesús Ramos Jr. (24-1, 19 KOs) defending against unbeaten mandatory challenger Meiirim Nursultanov (20-0, 11 KOs) over 12 rounds.
Ramos won the interim title with a unanimous decision over Shane Mosley Jr. and has also recorded victories over Brian Mendoza, Javier Molina, Vladimir Hernandez and previously unbeaten Joey Spencer. The 25-year-old expects Nursultanov to present a difficult test in his first title defence.
Nursultanov is ranked No. 1 by the WBC but has not competed since defeating Julio Alamos by unanimous decision in November 2023. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has stated that the winner will be ordered to face full champion Carlos Adames next.
