ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and Nogales-bred boxer Oscar Valdez will return to his roots to defend the WBC super featherweight belt he picked up in February with a surprise knockout of Miguel Berchelt.
Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs) is scheduled to face undefeated Brazilian Robson Conceição (16-0, 8 KOs) on Sept. 10 at Casino Del Sol. The show, which will also feature junior lightweight Gabriel Flores Jr. (20-0, 7 KOs) of Stockton, California, against Luis Alberto Lopez (22-2, 12 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico, will be streamed via ESPN Plus starting at 7 p.m.
Tickets start at $25 and will go on sale at 10 a.m. July 27 via .
“Oscar Valdez is coming off a career-best performance and wants to put on a spectacular showing in front of the great ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ fans,†Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said in a statement. “Conceição has been waiting for this shot ever since he turned pro, and having promoted him for his entire career, I know he’ll be at his very best.â€
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A native of Nogales, Sonora, Valdez spent his elementary school years in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and now lives mostly in Hermosillo. He returned to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2017 for one of his six defenses of his WBO world featherweight belt, a 12-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Filipino Genesis Servania at the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Arena.
As amateurs, Valdez and Conceição fought in the gold medal match of the 2009 Pan American Games, when Conceição won by a point.
"I am very excited to fight in my second home,†Valdez said in a statement. “It motivates me to know that I will defend the title in front of my friends and my family, and I will be willing to put it on the line as in all my fights."
The undercard will feature undefeated WBO flyweight world champion Junto Nakatani (21-0, 16 KOs) of Japan against Angel “Tito†Acosta (22-2, 21 KOs) of Puerto Rico. Other scheduled fighters include Puerto Rican junior middleweight Xander Zayas (9-0, 7 KOs) and Californian lightweight Raymond Muratalla (12-0, 10 KOs).
