ROCKLIN, CALIFORNIA – Making his third appearance at the Venue at Thunder Valley on Saturday night, Blake McKernan is back in the six-round main event to take on active veteran Alan Campa as Upper Cut Promotions presents “Thunder Showdown 5” at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. Fighters for the seven-bout card weighed-in Friday morning at the UFC Gym in nearby Rocklin.
McKernan (16-2-1, 9 KOs) posted back-to-back stoppage victories as the indoor venue opened to professional boxing in September 2024 and returned in March of the following year for “Thunder Showdown II.” In his first appearance of 2026, McKernan takes on Mexican journeyman Campa (20-15, 13 KOs) in a cruiserweight crossroads bout.
McKernan has battled through injuries in recent years and struggled to a six-round majority draw with the inexperienced Vikash Deol last time out this past November. Despite the recent struggle, McKernan still has eyes on bigger prizes as he meets Campa on Saturday.
“This may be my last time ever fighting in front of Sacramento,” McKernan told Fox40 News last week. “I’ve got some big opportunities lined-up after this, but it always feels good to be able to fight in front of Sacramento, so I am looking forward to it. I will be traveling the country and traveling the world and getting TV offers again. Hopefully within the next year or less, I will be fighting for a world title. Time will tell.”
Fighting for the sixth time in less than two full calendar years, Campa has also been in with the much tougher opposition of late, but with diminishing returns. Three fights back, Campa went the eight-round distance with Gustavo Aguilar (10-0-1) in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Then last November, Rogelio Romero (5-0) ended Campa’s night in the fourth round in Tijuana, Mexico. This past February in Clearwater, Florida, Campa failed to last one full round against Imran Haddabah (17-0), a well-regarded puncher prospect. Both McKernan and Campa weighed-in at an identical 198.1 pounds.
Featherweight prospect Kyle Lacanlale (8-0, 4 KOs) of San Ramon, California will make his third start at Thunder Valley as he moves up to the six-round distance for the first time against Kevin Nunez (6-3, 3 KOs) of Oviedo, Florida by way of Bayamón, Puerto Rico in the co-main event. Lacanlale, fresh off of a four-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Almacen in June, weighed-in at 124.1 pounds on Friday morning. Nunez, who had dropped down to bantamweight in a failed attempt at a regional title two fights back, came in at 125.1 pounds.
Shavon Furrow (3-0, 1 KO) of Fresno, California will take on Tatiana Almaraz (2-6) of Pittsburg, California by way of Guatemala City, Guatemala in a six-round super flyweight bout. Furrow, fighting for the fourth time this year, came in at 114 pounds on Friday morning. Almaraz, returning to the scene of her greatest professional triumph, a four-round decision over previously unbeaten Iris Contreras, weighed-in at 114.5 pounds.
With less than two completed professional rounds under his belt, Maurice Powell (2-0, 2 KOs) of Sacramento will meet veteran William Flenoy (3-7-1, 1 KO) of Fresno in a lightweight bout scheduled for six. Powell, who scored a devastating knockout in his hometown debut in May, weighed-in at 132.2 pounds on Friday. Flenoy, who has proven to be mostly durable with only two stoppages among his seven defeats, came in at 133.5 pounds.
Joel Alvarez Chavez of Napa, California, fighting out of Napa SAL, will make his professional debut against Solomon Colton (1-1-1, 1 KO) of Moreno Valley, California in a four-round junior middleweight bout. Colton, who had originally signed up to meet rising Sacramento-based prospect Khristopher Estep, scaled 148.1 on Friday, while Alvarez Chavez came in at 148.4 pounds.
Sacramento’s Ryan Yang will make his pro debut against battle-tested three-fight veteran Eduardo Sanchez (1-2) of Watsonville, California by way of Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico in a four-round bantamweight bout. Yang, training out of the Center Ring Boxing Club in Sacramento, scaled 115.8 on Friday. Sanchez, who could have easily seen a decision go his way against Jose Aguilar (4-0) just this past June in Sacramento, weighed-in at an identical 115.8 pounds.
In a rematch, Keon Merlo (3-1-1, 1 KO) of Fresno will aim to repeat the feat against the always tough Ebert Diaz (4-5-1, 1 KO) of Richmond, California in a six-round junior welterweight bout. Merlo scored a four-round unanimous decision over Diaz in June of last year. Merlo, moving up to the six-round distance for the first time, scaled an even 140. Diaz, who has settled into the 140-pound division in recent bouts, weighed-in at 139.1 pounds on Friday morning.
Quick Weigh-in Results
Cruiserweights, 6 Rounds
McKernan 198.1
Campa 198.1
Featherweights, 6 Rounds
Lacanlale 124.1
Nunez 125.1
Super flyweights, 6 Rounds
Furrow 114
Almaraz 114.5
Lightweights, 6 Rounds
Powell 132.2
Flenoy 133.5
Light middleweights, 4 Rounds
Alvarez Chavez 148.4
Colton 148.1
Bantamweights, 4 Rounds
Yang 115.8
Sanchez 115.8
Light welterweights, 6 Rounds
Merlo 140
Diaz 139.1
Tickets for the event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com
