Former two-division world champion Luis Nery faces Azat Hovhannisyan in the main event at The Fox Theater Pomona in Pomona, California on Saturday, February 18. The pair squares off in the scheduled for 12 rounds WBC super bantamweight title eliminator. The event airs live stream on DAZN.
“On February 18, you will see two hungry fighters who have been waiting for their chance at another opportunity to be at the top of their division,” said Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya. “You will see Hovhannisyan live up to his name as “Crazy A” and pull out all the stops against Nery in this title eliminator to get a step closer to becoming a world champion.”
“We are very excited to have Nery back in the United States this February 18,” said CEO of Zanfer Boxing Fernando Beltran. “This fight is a great challenge for Luis, but he is at the top of his game and has not stopped preparing. I am sure that Nery will show why he is one of the best fighters in his division and that he can beat anyone.”
Luis Nery (33-1, 25 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico is a former WBC bantamweight and super bantamweight champion. In his previous bout last October he defeated David Carmona via third-round TKO to secure his second win in a row. In February 2022, the 28-year-old took a split decision against Carlos Castro to rebound from the defeat by knockout in the seventh round against Brandon Figueroa.
“I am ready for the next challenge and prove yet again that I am the best, super bantamweight in the world,” said Luis Nery. “Azat Hovhannisyan is an experienced and high-quality opponent, but the reality is that I’m ranked number 1 by the WBC and if I win this fight I will be ready to challenge Stephen Fulton or Murodjon Akhmadaliev so they can no longer avoid me. See you on February 18, Luis Nery is here for the long haul.”
A native of Yerevan, Armenia, Azat Hovhannisyan (21-3, 17 KOs) previously challenged for WBC super bantamweight title in May 2018, but dropped a unanimous decision against Rey Vargas. In his previous outing last April, Los Angeles-based 34-year-old stopped Dagoberto Aguero in the second round and recorded his seventh straight victory.
“I have a lot of respect for Luis,” said Azat Hovhannisyan. “He’s a former world champion and a very talented fighter. I know I’m going to have to do everything I can to win.”
The list of bouts featured on the Nery vs Hovhannisyan undercard is expected to be announced shortly.
In Australia the event airs live on Sunday, February 19.
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