Puerto Rico’s youngest world champion Xander Zayas will begin 2026 with a major homecoming as he faces Abass Baraou in a junior middleweight world title unification bout on January 31 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan. The 23-year-old WBO titleholder meets the WBA champion in what will be only the second unification fight ever staged on Puerto Rican soil, following Ivan Calderon vs. Giovani Segura in 2010. The event is promoted by Top Rank, in association with ICON+, Move Concerts, and Noah Assad Presents.
Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) has risen from teenage prodigy to national pride, capturing his first world title less than six years after turning professional at 17. His climb through the ranks included stoppage wins over Elias Espadas and decision victories over Alexis Salazar and Jorge Garcia. “On January 31, we'll fulfill another dream. This time, I'll be fighting on my island,” Zayas said. “I’m going to unify two world titles in front of my people at Coliseo de Puerto Rico. We’re going to make history together.”
Watch Zayas vs. Garcia highlights.
Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs), born in Togo and raised in Germany, brings international pedigree and momentum. The 2017 European gold medalist and World Championship bronze medalist has won eight straight since his lone defeat in 2020. His breakthrough came in August when he dethroned Cuba’s Yoenis Tellez for the WBA title and was later elevated to full champion. “Xander is a great talent, and I give him credit for stepping up,” Baraou said. “I’m coming to make a statement, leave with another belt, and show the world who the top dog at 154 really is.”
Watch Tellez vs. Baraou highlights.
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum praised the magnitude of the event: “From the moment Xander Zayas won his world title, it was clear that his first defense had to take place in Puerto Rico. This is not a routine title defense. Baraou is a determined champion and will embrace the challenge of fighting on Xander’s home turf.”
In the co-main event, Rohan “El Rayo” Polanco will look to make a statement at the start of 2026 when he faces Christian Gomez in a 10-round welterweight bout.
Polanco enters the bout unbeaten at 17-0 (10 KOs) and firmly in the world title picture. A Tokyo 2021 Olympian, the Dominican standout signed with Top Rank in 2022 and initially campaigned at junior welterweight before moving up to 147 pounds. Ranked in the top 10 by both the WBO and IBF, Polanco is coming off a strong 2025 run that included wins over Fabian Maidana and Quinton Randall.
“I’m not coming to play on January 31. I'm coming to send a strong message to the division,” Polanco said.
Gomez (23-6-1, 21 KOs), brings experience and power into the matchup. The Mexican veteran has stopped the majority of his opponents and went the distance with Shakhram Giyasov in 2022. However, he enters the fight on the back of consecutive decision losses to Nicklaus Flaz and Alberto Palmetta, making the clash a critical opportunity to revive his momentum.
Fight card:
▪️Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou, 12 rounds, for Zayas’ WBO and Baraou’s WBA junior middleweight titles
▪️Rohan Polanco vs. Christian Gomez, 10 rounds, welterweight
▪️Giovani Santillan vs. Courtney Pennington, 10 rounds, junior middleweight
▪️Euri Cedeño vs. Etoundi Michel William, 10 rounds, middleweight
