Two former world champions will battle for yet one more shot at title glory. Mexico’s Elwin “La Pulga” Soto and South African two-weight world champion Hekkie “The Hexecutioner” Budler will collide in a 12-round WBC gentle flyweight title eliminator this Saturday, June 25, at Palenque Fex in Mexicali, Mexico.
Soto hails from San Felipe, a two-hour drive from Mexicali, and may have the house crowd benefit. Budler, from Johannesburg, is a 34-year-old veteran who will likely be making solely his third profession look in North America.
Soto-Budler tops a loaded night time of fights streaming stay and completely within the U.S. on ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Soto (19-2, 13 KOs) received the WBO gentle flyweight title in June 2019 with a come-from-behind Twelfth-round stoppage over Angel “Tito” Acosta.
He efficiently defended that belt 4 occasions over the subsequent two years, lastly shedding his belt final October to Jonathan Gonzalez by break up choice. He has not fought for the reason that Gonzalez defeat and hopes a win over Budler will earn him a shot at WBC world champion Kenshiro Teraji.
Budler (33-4, 10 KOs) has been 12 rounds 17 occasions and received the WBA 105-pound title in March 2014 when he stopped Karluis Diaz in a single spherical. He defended that belt 4 occasions earlier than shedding a good choice to Byron Rojas.
In Might 2018, Budler edged Ryoichi Taguchi by choice to win the WBA, IBF and Ring Journal 108-pound titles. His reign as the highest 108-pounder lasted a bit greater than seven months. After taking a bit greater than two years off, Budler returned final Might in Johannesburg and received the WBC Silver gentle flyweight belt with a unanimous choice over Jonathan Almacen.
In different streaming motion:
Junior featherweight prospect Jose Ramirez Maciel (16-1, 9 KOs), from Mexicali seems for his thirteenth consecutive victory in opposition to Jorge Luis Martinez Monreal (13-1-1, 8 KOs) within the 10-round co-feature.
Light-weight puncher Diego Torres Nunez (14-0, 13 KOs), who knocked out 13 straight foes to begin his professional profession, hopes to get again on the knockout observe in a 10-rounder in opposition to Royder Dzul Camacho (9-3-2, 3 KOs), who’s unbeaten in his final 5 fights.
In an eight-rounder at featherweight, Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza (18-0, 15 KOs) will match up in opposition to Gerardo Valenzuela Munoz (10-1, 9 KOs). Espinoza has scored first-round knockouts in his final two fights.
Hermosillo-born flyweight prospect Yahir Frank (9-0, 6 KOs), a 19-year-old upstart, hopes to creator a career-best victory in opposition to Carlos Mejia (8-2-1, 2 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
