WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete 37-1 (31) will make the first defence of his third divisional crown when he meets former two-weight world champion and fellow Mexican Oscar Valdez 31-1 (23) at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on August 12.
Navarrete, who has previously held the the WBO super bantamweight and WBO featherweight baubles, climbed off the canvas to win the super featherweight title with a ninth-round knockout of Australian Liam Wilson in February in his first fight at 130-pounds.
The 32-year-old Valdez promises an even sterner challenge. He hold victories over Miguel Berchelt, Scott Quigg, Miguel Marriaga and Robson Conceicao amongst others in world title fights.
Navarrete has gone to extra lengths to ensure he is physically ready for whatever Valdez throws at him.
“The training camp has been intense. The preparation was very tough. Fortunately, we were able to carry it out quite well,” the 28-year-old Navarrete said after a recent training session at The BXNG Club in San Diego.
“I had always done things in a conventional way, but now we have included a physical trainer, Francisco Javier Orozco. This fight with Valdez merited that change and I will come into this fight much better physically.”
Navarette won his first world title five years ago and has gone 11-0 (8) since, but admits he has lacked the type of dance partner to bring the best out of him and make fans and pundits appreciate his ability.
“Winning this fight would boost my career significantly,” Navarrete said. “Personally, I would feel complete. What has been missing in my career is precisely a victory against someone like Valdez. It would fill me with pride to be part of such an iconic fight between Mexicans and come out victorious.
“People know that I throw a lot of punches and that I’m always in attractive fights. Now, with Valdez, I believe it will be twice as spectacular. Valdez is a fighter who doesn’t hold back. We always see him moving forward and throwing punches.
“He says he’s going to knock my head off, but let’s see whose head comes off first. Let’s see what Valdez has to offer and let’s see how much he can endure and how much I can endure, too.”
Navarrete won his first world title with a 12-round unanimous decision victory over the highly favoured Isaac Dogboe in December 2018 and went one better in their immediate rematch five months later, battering the Ghanaian and stopping him in the final round.
Four successful title defences would follow before he claimed the vacant WBO featherweight title against previously undefeated Ruben Villa by unanimous decision in October 2020.
Navarrete defended this belt three times before moving up in weight again to become a three-division world champion.
