Home Boxing News Emmanuel Navarrete plans to become three-weight world champion

Emmanuel Navarrete plans to become three-weight world champion

Emmanuel Navarrete and Uriel Lopez weigh in. Photo credit: Zanfer Promotions

WBO super bantamweight champion Emmanuel Navarrete 31-1 (27) says he wants to eventually move up in weight to conquer the featherweight and super featherweight divisions.

At 5-foot-7 Navarrete is tall for his current weight class and looks to have the frame that could carry the extra pounds, where potential fights against Oscar Valdez, Shakur Stevenson, Josh Warrington and Leo Santa Cruz would be very enticing to fight fans.

“Including the belt I have right now at junior featherweight, I want to conquer two more divisions,” Navarrete said to ESPN through a translator.

“That’s what I see myself in three to five years, becoming a three-division champion.”

The 25-year-old Mexican shot to fame with his back-to-back wins over Isaac Dogboe in 2018-19 and has gone on to successfully defend his 122-pound belt a further four times since.

“A lot of things have changed since I became champion,” Navarrete said.

“But talking about the boxing side, the promoters and the big companies see me as a great champion, now. And that feels very good to me.”

Navarrete will take a tune-up fight against journeyman Uriel Lopez 13-13-1 (6) at Gimnasio TV Azteca in Mexico City on Saturday night at a catchweight of 127-pounds.

The global coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for Navarrete to find quality sparring partners, but the champion says he was still able to put in a solid camp despite the circumstance.

“It’s still the same for me,” Navarrete said. “I enjoy getting ready for the fight. I give my 100 percent in every single fight because every single fight is important for me.

“So I still enjoy mostly the same way as when I became champion the first time.”