Emiliano Fernando Vargas is back in the ring on Friday, September 15 at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 19-year-old native of Oxnard, California battles it out on the ESPN-televised card, headlined by Luis Alberto Lopez’s IBF featherweight title defense against two-time world title challenger Joet Gonzalez.
In the co-feature, Puerto Rican Xander Zayas faces Mexico’s Roberto Valenzuela Jr. The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds at junior middleweight.
Vargas goes through the ropes at American Bank Center more than 18 years after his father, Fernando Vargas, headlined at the venue. His opponent in a six-round bout is expected to be announced shortly.
In his previous outing on August 12 in Glendale on Navarrete vs Valdez card, Vargas (6-0, 5 KOs) stopped Jorge Luis Marquez Alvarado in the second round and secured his fourth win for 2023. In May and April, Las Vegas-based lightweight KO’d Rafael Jasso and Edgar Uvalle also in Round 2, after scoring a unanimous decision against Francisco Duque in February.
“I’d like to thank Top Rank and my team for the opportunity to make my ESPN-televised debut on a great card in Corpus Christi,” Vargas said. “I am proud to be a Vargas, and I look forward to following in the footsteps of my father, who was victorious at the American Bank Center nearly 20 years ago.”
The current Lopez vs Gonzalez lineup can be found below. The finalized fight card is expected to be announced shortly.
Lopez vs Gonzalez fight card
Main card
- Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez, 12 rounds, featherweight – Lopez’s IBF featherweight title
- Xander Zayas vs. Roberto Valenzuela, 10 rounds, junior middleweight
- Emiliano Vargas vs. TBA, 6 rounds, lightweight
Undercard
- Omar Alejandro Aguilar vs. Julio Luna, 8 rounds, welterweight
- Jamaine Ortiz vs. Antonio Moran, 10 rounds, lightweight
- Robson Conceicao vs. Humberto Galindo, 8 rounds, junior lightweight
- Ruben Villa vs. Brandon Valdes, 8 rounds, featherweight
- Tiger Johnson vs. Ricardo Quiroz, 8 rounds, junior welterweight
- John Rincon vs. TBA, 6 rounds, welterweight
- Cayden Griffiths vs. TBA, 6 rounds, super lightweight
In the UK and Australia, the event airs live on Saturday, September 16.
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