Sergey Lipinets and Custio Clayton battled to a 12-round majority draw in an IBF Interim Welterweight World title bout at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The fight was a close battle that saw Lipinets try to press the action, while Clayton countered effectively by showing a strong jab and counter attack. Clayton showed his mettle in the later rounds and he threw and landed more punches.

Lipinets landed 175 of 610 punches; Clayton was 247 of 687.

In the end, Clayton won a card 115-113, while two cards were even at 114-114.

Lipinets, 147 lbs of Kazakhstan is 16-1-1. Clayton, 147 lbs of Dartmouth, CAN is 18-0-1.

Sergey Lipinets

“I thought I won the fight, but Clayton is a good fighter. He was stronger than I thought he’d be. I haven’t fought in a year and it shows. I need to get my rhythm back in a couple of fights before I face the top level fighters.

“For the interim title, I’ll be ready for a rematch with Clayton.

“The guy didn’t do anything and he was running. I threw more punches and I connected on more punches.”

Custio Clayton

“I thought I did enough to win the fight. It was a close fight, but I landed the cleaner shots.

“At the end of the day, you can’t knock the judges’ decision, but I thought that I landed the cleaner shots and won. He came forward a lot, but he wasn’t landing as much. I probably could have pushed more a little earlier, but at the same time, I knew he was strong. I thought I stayed patient and poised. I could have put combinations together quicker, but overall I thought I fought a smart fight and pulled it off.

“I showed the world that I’m not just a guy from Canada. I proved I’m a good fighter. People will have to respect me a little bit more. If Lipinets wants the rematch for the interim title, we should be able to make that happen.”

Martinez survives Two Knockdowns; Decisions Marrero

Xavier Martinez was able to withstand two knockdowns, and win a 12-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Claudio Marrero in a super featherweight bout.

Martinez controlled the 1st seven-plus rounds.

In round eight, Marrero dropped Martinez with a short right hook. Seconds later, it was a hard flurry of about six punches that put Martinez down for a 2nd time. A mouse started to form under the right eye of Marrero. In round 10, Marrero began to swell around his right eye.

Martinez landed 128 of 579 punches; Marrero was 161 of 625

Martinez was able to bank enough rounds down the stretch, and win by scores of 115-111 and 114-112 twice.

Martinez, 130 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 16-0. Marrero, 130.75 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 24-5.

Xavier Martínez 

“To be honest, it was weird when I got knocked down. I just said, ‘Let’s get back up.’ Losing wasn’t on my mind. I just thought I have to get up. I’m not happy I went down but it’s all an experience. A lot of guys wouldn’t have fought Claudio. He was tough. But I rose to the occasion and I proved something to myself.

“Not every win is going to be pretty and a knockout, but if you can pull yourself out of tough situations it proves what type of fighter you are.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be a cake walk. I told [trainer] Ray [Woods] I might hit this guy a couple of times and he might not drop. It’s all part of the experience.”

Claudio Marrero

“I feel like it was a bad decision. I don’t think the judges took into account all the hard work I did in the ring. I wouldn’t do anything different if I fought him again. I would fight the same way. I fought smart and I put pressure on him.

“He hits hard, but I recovered quickly. I felt like I won the fight.”

Matias Stops Hawkins in 7!!

Subriel Matias stopped previously undefeated Malik Hawkins in round seven of their scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout.

Matias applied immense pressure throughout the fight that had Hawkins going back.

In round six, Matias landed a left hook to the head that sent Hawkins to a knee. The right eye of Hawkins started to swell and the fight was stopped one-second into round seven.

Matias, 139.5 lbs of Fajardo, PR is 16-1 with all 16 coming via stoppage. Hawkins, 140 lbs of Baltimore, MD is 18-1.

Subriel Matías

“The biggest difference between this fight and my last loss was the way I trained in the gym. I didn’t train as much as I should have (for the last fight). Malik didn’t have the power to hurt me. In the first round, I knew that. And that’s when I kept moving forward and starting hurting him in the body. And that’s what I kept doing, just going to the body.

“I’ll fight anyone. Whoever they put in front of me. I want a title eliminator, and then I want to fight for a world title.”

Malik Hawkins

“He was doing a bunch of dirty things in the fight. I’m not going to sit here and cry over spilled milk. He was the better man tonight. I’m back in the gym.”

NEW YORK – October 5, 2020 – Former world champion Sergey Lipinets will take on unbeaten Kudratillo Abdukakhorov for the Interim IBF Welterweight Title headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, October 24 in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will see undefeated contender Xavier Martínez battle hard-hitting Claudio “The Matrix” Marrero in a 12-round WBA Super Featherweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. Rising super lightweight Malik “Iceman” Hawkins will duel knockout artist Subriel Matías in a 10-round showdown to kick off the televised action.

Lipinets vs. Abdukakhorov was originally scheduled to take place October 10, but was rescheduled because of a delay in Abdukakhorov receiving his visa. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and Mayweather Promotions.

“Sergey Lipinets announced himself last year as a serious contender in the welterweight division and can move closer to the top of the stacked weight class against the tough unbeaten Kudratillo Abdukakhorov on October 24,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “In undercard attractions, unbeaten Xavier Martínez can earn a career-best victory over the always dangerous Claudio Marrero, while talented super lightweight Malik Hawkins and the powerful Subriel Matías will clash with a chance for the winner to propel themselves up the 140-pound rankings. These are three evenly matched bouts that will show us a lot about all of the fighters, while treating fans to great action.”

“Given what Kudratillo has gone through to get this opportunity, the fight seems easier,” said Carl Moretti, Top Rank VP of Boxing Operations. “But everyone knows it won’t be.”

The 31-year-old Lipinets (16-1, 12 KOs) will look to remain unbeaten since moving up to welterweight in 2018 and position himself for further title opportunities in the welterweight division. Born in Kazakhstan and representing Russia, Lipinets now lives in Woodland Hills, California and is trained by renowned coach Joe Goossen. Lipinets has put together three straight victories since losing his 140-pound title to four-division champion Mikey Garcia in March 2018. Lipinets scored two victories in 2019, including a stoppage of two-division champion Lamont Peterson in one of the year’s most exciting fights.

Born in Uzbekistan and fighting out of Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia, Abdukakhorov (17-0, 9 KOs) is the top-rated welterweight contender in the IBF rankings. The 27-year-old made his U.S. debut last March, defeating former title challenger Keita Obara by unanimous decision. Abdukakhorov followed that up with a wide technical decision triumph over former champion Luis Collazo last October.

A Mayweather Promotions prospect from Sacramento, Calif., Martínez (15-0, 11 KOs) has trained for this fight in Las Vegas, Nev. alongside three-time champion Gervonta Davis. The 22-year-old added three knockout victories to his record last year, and has stopped his last seven opponents heading into October 24. Martínez most recently knocked out Jessie Cris Rosales last November, and will step up in competition to face Marrero, as he seeks to move closer to a title shot.

The former interim featherweight champion Marrero (24-4, 17 KOs) will move up to the 130-pound division after a long run at 126-pounds that saw him face a slew of contenders and rising prospects. Representing Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Marrero captured his interim title in April 2017 with a first round knockout over then unbeaten Carlo Zambrano. The 31-year-old also owns a first-round stoppage of then unbeaten Jorge Lara in April 2018 and a decision victory over featherweight contender Eduardo Ramirez last June.

Another rising prospect in the Mayweather Promotions stable, Hawkins (18-0, 11 KOs), fights out of Baltimore, Maryland and is trained by Gervonta Davis’ coach Calvin Ford. The 24-year-old most recently triumphed over then unbeaten Darwin Price in December by fifth-round TKO. Hawkins was busy in 2019, picking up five victories in total following a 2018 campaign that saw him earn his first 10-round decision win by beating Raymond Serrano.

The 28-year-old Matías (15-1, 15 KOs) returns to action looking to bounce back from his first career defeat, a narrow decision loss to Petros Ananyan in February of this year. Prior to that, Matías had stopped all 15 of his opponents dating back to his pro debut in December 2015. October 24 will be his fourth fight in the U.S.

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LAS VEGAS–Tyson Fury was spectacular in wearing down, beating down and eventually stopping Deontay Wilder to win the WBC Heavyweight title at the MGM Grand.

Fury was the aggressor and used his 42 pound size advantage to dictate the entire bout that had Wilder showing little resistance.

Fury sent Wilder to the canvas in round three when he landed a cuffing right to the ear. After that, Wilder seemed to lose his energy as the Fury continued to wear Wilder down. The punch the that sent Wilder down also caused bleeding out the right ear of Wilder. In round five, Fury dropped Wilder again, this time it was a body shot. Fury continued to land thudding shots and Wilder kept looking worse with each landed Fury punch.

After looking bad in the corner in between round’s six and seven, Fury came and landed two booming right hand that had referee Kenny Bayless and the corner of Wilder throwing in the towel simultaneously at 1:39.

Fury, 273 lbs of Winslow, UK is now 30-0-1 with 21 knockouts. Wilder, 231 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is 42-1-1.

TYSON FURY:

“A big shout out to Deontay Wilder. He came here tonight and he manned up and he really did show the heart of a champion.

“I hit him with a clean right that dropped him and he got back up. He is a warrior. He will be back. He will be champion again.

“But I will say, the king has returned to the top of the throne!”

DEONTAY WILDER:

“I’m doing good. Things like this happen. The best man won tonight, but my corner threw in the towel and I was ready to go out on my shield. I had a lot of things going on heading into this fight. It is what it is, but I make no excuses tonight. I just wish my corner would have let me go out on my shield. I’m a warrior. He had a great performance and we will be back stronger.”

“Even the greatest have lost and came back, that is just part of it. You just take it for what it is. I can make no excuses tonight. I had a lot of complications. But we’ll come back stronger next time around. This is what big-time boxing is all about, the best must fight the best. I appreciate all the fans that came out and supported the show, and I hope that everyone gets home safely.”

Former Heavyweight champion Charles Martin scored a one-punch knockout over former world title challenger challenger in round six of their scheduled 12-round elimination bout.

The bout was void of action until Martin landed a booming left that sent Washington to the canvas. Washington got to his feet, but the fight was stopped at 1:57.

Martin, 254 lbs of Carson, CA is 28-2-1 with 25 knockouts. Washington, 236 1/2 lbs of Vallejo, CA is 20-4-1.

CHARLES MARTIN

“I knew that I had him hurt a few times in the fight. Every round I think I hurt him, but I just couldn’t finish him. I knew that I had to take my time in there. It took me some rounds to catch up with him, because he’s very quick on the retreat.

“This win means a lot. It shows that I’ve been working hard. The people can see it. I was never hurt at any point. This has just given me more confidence in myself. I can take the punches and give the punches.”

GERALD WASHINGTON

“The referee did what he thought was right. He’s a top notch ref so I won’t complain about the stoppage. He put me down and I got up, so I definitely wanted to get back to it.”

Emanuel Navarrete stopped Jeo Santisima in round 11 to retain the WBO Super Bantamweight title.

Navarrete dominated the action and finally was able to get Santisima out there with a brutal 11 punch flurry at 2:20 of round 11.

Navarrete, 122 lbs of Mexico City is 31-1 with 27 knockouts. Santisima, 122 lbs of the Philippines is 19-3.

Sebastian Fundora won a 10-round unanimous decision over Daniel Lewis in a junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Fundora began to bleed from the nose

Fundora, 153 1/2 lbs of Cochella, CA won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-94 and is now 14-0-1. Lewis, 153 lbs of Sydney, AUS is 6-1.

SEBASTIAN FUNDORA

“I think it was a fair decision and a good fight. There were a lot of hard punches. I knew he would be tough. When they told me I was fighting an Olympian, I knew it would be a tough fight. He probably had more experience than me, but we prepared the right way and got the win.

“I always want to use my height and my physical gifts, but it just depends on the fight. If the situation changes, we have to be ready to adapt.

“Whether we’re fighting on the inside or the outside, I always want to be the busier fighter. The more punches you throw, the more you’re going to land. It’s the way I like to fight.

“I’ll have to talk to my team, but I want to keep facing the best competition possible and continue to grow in the sport.”

Javier Molina won an eight-round unanimous decision over Amir Imam in a junior welterweight bout.

Molina, 141 1/2 lbs of Norwalk, CA won by scores of 79-73 and 78-74 twice and is now 22-2. Imam, 141 1/2 lbs of Albany, NY is 21-3.

Petros Ananyan won an upset 10-round unanimous decision over previosuly undefeated knockout artist Subriel Matias in a junior welterweight bout.

In round seven, Ananyan landed some booming shots that hurt Matias and drove him back to the ropes. Matias seemed out on his feet and for some reason referee Robert Byrd administered an eight-count.

That was the difference in the fight as Matias won by scores of 96-93 and 95-94 twice for Ananyan, 142 lbs of Brooklyn, NY and is now 15-2-2. Matias, 142, Fajardo, PR is 15-1.

Gabriel Flores Jr. remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous over Matt Conway in a junior lightweight bout.

In round one, Flores dropped Conway with an overhand right. In round two, Conway started to swell around his right eye.

Flores, 132 1/2 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72, and is now 16-0. Conway, 132 1/2 lbs of Pittsburgh, PA is 17-2.

Vito Mielnicki Jr. remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Corey Champion in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Mielnicki dropped Champion with a flush counter right. In round four, Champion was bleeding from his nose.

Mielnicki, 147 lbs of Roseland, NJ won by scores of 40-35 on all cards and is now 5-0. Champion, 147 lbs of Louisa, VA is 1-3.

In a foul fest 10 featherweight fight, Isaac Lowe won a unanimous decision over Alberto Guevara.

In round four, Guevara was deducted a point for hitting on the break. Low was deducted apoint for hitting on the break and then another one for throwing Guevara down.

In round five, Lowe was deducted a point for hitting behind the head. In round six, Guevara was deducted for hitting on the break. Lowe was deducted another point in the round for hitting on the break. In round eight, Lowe dropped Guevara with a left hook.

Lowe, 125 1/2 lbs of Morecambe, UK won by scores of 96-87 twice and 95-88 and is now 20-0-3. Guevara, 126 lbs of Mazatlan, MEX is 27-6.

Rolando Romero stopped Arturs Ahmetovs in round two of a scheduled eight-round lightweight bout.

Romero dropped Ahmetovs twice and the fight was stopped at 1:22 of round two.

Romero, 137 lbs of Las Vegas is 11-0 with 10 knockouts. Ahmetovs, 136 lbs of Delray Beach, FL is 5-1

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 6, 2020) —An exciting lineup of rising stars will enter the ring in undercard action leading up to the highly anticipated rematch between unbeaten WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and undefeated lineal champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury headlining a historic, mega PPV event Saturday, February 22 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Wilder vs. Fury II Prelims will feature hard-hitting undefeated contender Subriel Matias in a super lightweight showdown against Petros Ananyan, plus super lightweight contender Amir Imam taking on Javier Molina.

Prelims will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on FS1, ESPNEWS and in Spanish on FOX Deportes and ESPN3. ESPNEWS’ coverage will switch to ESPN at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

The Wilder vs. Fury II PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features former heavyweight world champion Charles Martin squaring off against former title challenger Gerald “El Gallo Negro” Washington for a 12-round IBF Heavyweight Title eliminator in the co-main event. WBO Junior Featherweight World Champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, a.k.a “The Mexican Iron Man” will defend his title against Filipino contender Jeo Santisima in the PPV featured bout. Plus in the PPV opener, super welterweight sensation Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora will face 2016 Australian Olympian Daniel Lewis in a 10-round battle of unbeatens.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at www.mgmgrand.com or www.axs.com. The event is promoted by BombZquad Promotions, TGB Promotions, Top Rank and Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions. A Premier Boxing Champions presentation.

A pro since 2015, Matias (15-0, 15 KOs) has stopped every opponent he’s faced in the professional ranks, including three more knockout victories in 2019. The 27-year-old will be fighting in the U.S for the third time on February 22, and the first time in Las Vegas, as he looks for a big 2020 debut. The Fajardo, Puerto Rico native will take on the 31-year-old, Ananyan (14-2-2, 7 KOs), who made his U.S. debut in December 2019, losing a narrow majority decision against Kareem Martin after defeating Arkadi Harutyunyan in April 2019. Born in Abovyan, Armenia and training in Houston, Texas, Ananyan was unbeaten in his first 15 fights after turning pro in 2015.

“I’m very excited for this fight and thankful to my team for giving me this great opportunity,” said Matias. “Just like all of my other fights, I’m going to train to my maximum level, because no matter who the opponent is, we’re all chasing the same dream. I want to thank him for taking this fight, but I won’t let him stand in my way. We’re going to give the fans great action and on February 22, we will know who is the most prepared to win.”

“This is a moment that every boxer dreams about and I can’t wait to demonstrate my skills on a big show,” said Ananyan. “I’m training hard, learning my opponent’s style, his weaknesses and putting together a strategy for fight night. This is a very important fight for me, because with a win I will be able to make my dreams come true. It’s been a long road to achieve my dreams and I’m ready to take another big step on February 22.”

The fighting pride of Albany, N.Y., Imam (22-2, 19 KOs) has resumed his quest for a super lightweight world title. After promotional issues kept him out of the ring for nearly two years following his competitive March 2018 decision loss to Jose Ramirez for the vacant WBC super lightweight title, Imam came back in grand style last November, knocking out Marcos Mojica in four rounds. The Mojica fight was his first under the Top Rank banner, and he’ll return against promotional stablemate Molina (21-2, 9 KOs), a 2008 U.S. Olympian. Molina went 3-0 in 2019, most recently knocking out Hiroki Okada at 1:05 of the opening round in their ESPN-televised showdown.

“I feel blessed to be fighting on the undercard of the biggest fight of the year,” said Imam. “I am prepared to shine and take full advantage of the opportunity and the exposure. I’ve had a great camp in preparation for this fight. I’m excited to get in the ring and I feel stronger and more prepared than ever. Defeating Javier Molina will put myself back in the conversation as one of the top super lightweights in the world.”

“I’m looking forward to fighting in an event as big as this one,” said Molina. “I know I’m facing a tough fighter in Amir Imam, but these are the type of fights that I need to earn a world title shot. I’m excited and ready to make a statement on February 22.”

The action-packed non-televised lineup includes unbeaten prospect Rolando Romero battling fellow unbeaten Arturs Ahmetovs in an eight-round lightweight fight, plus rising prospect Gabriel Flores Jr. in an eight-round lightweight affair against Matt Conway.

Rounding out the card is sensational 17-year-old prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. in a four-round welterweight attraction against Corey Champion, and unbeaten featherweight Isaac Lowe squaring off against Mexico’s Alberto Guevara.

Fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada, Romero (10-0, 9 KOs) added three knockout victories to his tally in 2019, including a highlight-reel knockout win on FS1 in April when he stopped Andres Figueroa. A fast-rising prospect in the Mayweather Promotions stable, the 24-year-old will look to extend his five-fight knockout streak on February 22. He will take on the 30-year-old Ahmetovs (5-0, 2 KOs), who turned pro in March 2019 and picked up five victories throughout the year. Ahmetovs was born in Riga, Latvia and fights out of Delray Beach, Florida.

The 19-year-old Flores (16-0, 6 KOs) is one of the sport’s rising stars, an amateur prodigy who signed with Top Rank at the age of 16. Already a proven ticket-seller in his hometown of Stockton, California, he will be making his fourth Las Vegas appearance. Last September, he shut out Miguel Angel Aispuro over six rounds on the Fury vs. Otto Wallin undercard at T-Mobile Arena. Conway (17-1, 7 KOs) is a five-year pro whose only defeat came via split decision to Francisco Esparza last October.

Still a senior in high school, the 17-year-old Mielnicki (4-0, 3 KOs) fights out of his hometown of Roseland, New Jersey and turned pro in July 2019 after a stellar amateur career. Mielnicki has shown his immense skill in back-to-back performances on FOX PBC Prelims, stopping Marklin Bailey on the Wilder vs. Ortiz II prelims show on FS2 in November, then defeating Preston Wilson in his 2020 debut in January on FS1. He will take on the 21-year-old Champion, who fights out of Charlottesville, Virginia and has fought three times since turning pro in July 2019.

Lowe (19-0-3, 6 KOs), Fury’s close friend and training partner, is a former Commonwealth featherweight champion who has won five in a row since a 2018 draw against Ryan Walsh for the British featherweight title. A fan-friendly pressure fighter, Lowe was victorious on the undercards of Fury’s last two bouts and hopes to move closer to a world title shot with another win. Guevara (27-5, 12 KOs), a native of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, is a two-time bantamweight world title challenger who pushed then-champion Leo Santa Cruz the distance in December 2012. He fought Shakur Stevenson last July on short notice and gave a valiant effort before being stopped in the third round.

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ESPN + (10 p.m. ET)

Teofimo Lopez 134.4 lbs vs. Masayoshi Nakatani 134.4 lbs
(IBF Lightweight world title eliminator – 12 Rounds)

Maxim Dadashev 139.2 lbs vs. Subriel Matias 139.8 lbs
(IBF Junior Welterweight world title eliminator – 12 Rounds)

ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET)

Dusty Hernandez-Harrison 159.8 lbs vs. Juan De Angel 164.8 lbs
(Middleweight – 8 Rounds)

Cassius Chaney 252.8 lbs vs. Joel Caudle 255.6 lbs
(Heavyweight – 8/6 Rounds)

Tyler Howard 161.8 lbs vs. Jamaal Davis 161.8 lbs
(Middleweight- 8 Rounds)

Tyler McCreary 133.2 lbs vs. Jessie Cris Rosales 134 lbs
(Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

Esquiva Falcao 161.2 lbs Jesus Antonio Gutierrez 161.2 lbs
(Middleweight – 10 Rounds)

Swing Bouts
Rolando Vargas 134.4 lbs Nathaniel Davis 134.6 lbs
(Lightweight- 4 Rounds)

Patrick Harris 138.6 lbs vs. Donald Ward 138.4 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 8/6 Rounds)

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25 (not including applicable fees) are on sale now and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or in person at the MGM National Harbor.

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #LopezNakatani to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.
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OXON HILL, Md. (June 4, 2019) — Teofimo Lopez is one win away from a shot at fulfilling his world title destiny. Standing in his way is fellow unbeaten Masayoshi Nakatani, who is intent on spoiling his plans.

Lopez and Nakatani will lock horns in a 12-round IBF lightweight world title eliminator Friday, July 19 at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The Lopez-Nakatani winner will be the mandatory challenger for the victor of the June 28 ESPN-televised bout between IBF champion Richard Commey and Ray Beltran.

In the highly anticipated chief support bout — also a battle of unbeatens — Maxim “Mad Max” Dadashev will take on Puerto Rican puncher Subriel Matias in a 12-round IBF junior welterweight world title eliminator for the belt currently held by Josh Taylor.

Lopez-Nakatani and Dadashev-Matias will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The combatants in this special doubleheader have a combined 57-0 record with 47 knockouts.

The undercard, including the 10-round super featherweight contest between the unbeaten Erick De Leon and former world champion Jason Sosa, will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets for this world championship event priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25 (not including applicable fees) go on sale Friday, June 7 at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or in person at the MGM National Harbor.

“I’m excited to come back, especially for my first headlining bout, one of many to come,” Lopez said. “After Nakatani, you will see me face the winner of Richard Commey and Ray Beltran. If you think you’ve seen it all, you haven’t. My goal is to be a worldwide star, and Nakatani is not going to stop me. Expect another badass knockout, and rest assured, I have something special planned for the celebration. For this fight, we’re doing a nine-week training camp, and I am going to be in the best shape of my career.

“The Takeover is coming July 19 to MGM National Harbor!”

“This fight is just a stop on the way to becoming world champion,” Nakatani said. “I hope all boxing fans in Japan and around the world will enjoy what I bring to the table.”

Lopez (13-0, 11 KOs), ranked No. 4 by the IBF, was born in Brooklyn, raised in Florida, and represented his parents’ native Honduras at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The 21-year-old’s rise up the professional ranks has been meteoric, as he made his debut on a Manny Pacquiao undercard in November 2016 and was the consensus 2018 Prospect of the Year. In 2019, he’s graduated to contender status. He knocked out former world title challenger Diego Magdaleno in seven brutal rounds Feb. 2 in Frisco, Texas. Lopez returned April 20 as the pay-per-view co-feature to the Terence Crawford-Amir Khan bout at Madison Square Garden. He thrilled the hometown fans, knocking out two-time European lightweight champion Edis Tatli in five rounds.

Nakatani (18-0, 12 KOs), from Osaka, Japan, is ranked No. 3 by the IBF and has gone the 12-round distance five times. He has held the OBPF lightweight title since 2014 and has made 11 successful defenses of that belt. Nakatani has won four in a row via knockout, and against Lopez, he will be making his first ring appearance outside of Japan.

Dadashev (13-0, 11 KOs) is a three-year pro who has made a seamless transition to the pro game. A former amateur standout for his native Russia, he won a reported 281 bouts in the unpaid ranks before turning pro under the guidance of famed manager Egis Klimas. Dadashev holds victories over former world champions Antonio DeMarco and Darleys Perez and has won nine of his last ten by knockout. He made his 2019 debut March 23 in Costa Mesa, California, knocking out Ricky Sismundo in four rounds. Matias (13-0, 13 KOs), a southpaw from Fajardo, Puerto Rico, has blown through his competition with ease, as seven of his fights have ended in the first or second round. He made his American debut last October in New Orleans, blowing away former two-division world title challenger Fernando Saucedo in one round.

“It doesn’t matter who I fight or where I fight. I am looking forward to the opportunity in front of me,” Dadashev said. “Matias is a dangerous fighter, but I am ready for whatever he brings. I have fought every kind of style as an amateur and a professional, and all of my experiences have led me to this fight.”

Sosa (22-3-4, 15 KOs), from Camden, New Jersey, upset Javier Fortuna in June 2016 to win the WBA world super featherweight title. He made one successful title before relinquishing his belt to pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko. Sosa has won a pair of fights since a controversial decision loss to Yuriorkis Gamboa and knows that a win over De Leon (19-0-1, 11 KOs) will move him closer to another crack at the brass ring.

De Leon, a Detroit product, was a top U.S. amateur who won three consecutive National Golden Gloves championships (2009-11). He turned away Adrian Yung via unanimous decision last July in New Orleans, winning despite injuring his right shoulder in the opening round. De Leon returned to action March 23 in Costa Mesa, California, knocking out Jose Luis Gallegos in seven rounds.

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Regis Prograis won a 12-round unanimous decision over former lightweight champion Terry Flanagan to defend the WBC Interim Syoer Lightweight championship and advance to the semifinals of the World Boxing Super series junior welterweight tournament at the UNO Lakefront Arena in Prograis hometown of New Orleans

In round eight, Prograis dropped Flanagan with a straight left. later in the a round, a cut was opened up outside of Flanagan’s left eye.

Prograis, 139.8 lbs of New Orleans won by scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 117-110 to remain perfect at 23-0. Flanagan, 139.3 lbs of Manchester, UK is 33-2.

Ivan Baranchyk won the IBF Junior Welterweight title and advanced to the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Series with a 7th round stoppage over Anthony Yigit.

In round two, Yigit began to form a mouse around his left eye from the heavy blows of Baranchyk.

By round six, Yigit. eye was almost closed and looking a lot worse for wear. Baranchyk continued to land hard shots on the iron-chinned Yigit and Yigit’s eye was a mess and completely shut when the bout was stopped at 3:00

Baranchyk 140 lbs of Miami, FL is 19-0 with 12 knockouts. Yigit, 139.7 lbs of Stickholm, SWE is 21-1-1.

Jonathan Guidry stopped Quincy Palmer in the first round of their scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

Guidry landed a hard power combination that was ounctuated by a straight right that put Palmer down, and the bout was stopped.

Guidry is 12-0-2 with six knockouts. Palmer is 10-10.

Jonathan Montrel won a four-round unanimous decision over Antonio Wattell in a lightweight bout.

Montrel won by scores of 40-36 twice, and 39-37 and is now 2-0.  Wattell is 1-5-1.

Subriel Matias remained undefeated by winning via 1st round disqualification over Fernando Saucedo.

In round one, Matias dropped Saucedo twice.  On the second knockdown, Matias was docked a point while hitting Saucedo while he was down.  During the round, the corner of Saucedo stepped on the ring apron, and the fight was waved off.

Matias is now 12-0.  Saucedo is 62-9-3.

Jeremy Hill won a four-round unanimous decision over Brandon Arvie in a lightweight bout.

Hill scored knockdowns in rounds one, two and four and went on to win by scores of 40-33 on all cards.

Hill is now 5-0.  Arvie is 3-2.

Illyan Kolev made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Antonio Louis Hernandez in a super welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-35 and 39-36 for Kolev who is now 1-0.  Hernandez is 1-5.