Cayden Griffiths is ready to hear the final bell in 2026 but has no plans to go the distance in his upcoming fight. Griffiths is scheduled to return Friday against Lesther Espino in a six-round welterweight bout in Palm Desert, California.
Griffiths, 6-0 (6 KOs), is a welterweight prospect signed to Golden Boy Promotions and trained by Joel Diaz in Indio, California. Griffiths, 19, grew up in the Coachella Valley sparring with the likes of Murodjon Akhmadaliev. He is being judged by high standards and thus knows he needs ring time to achieve the goals he has set for himself – the first one being a regional title by the end of the year.
“Hopefully, [I face] a fighter that can last the distance,” Griffiths told BoxingScene. “I know a lot of fighters want to keep a knockout streak, but I want to go the distance with a really tough opponent to know I can do it.”
He just doesn’t want it to be this one. Espino, a 35-year-old from Managua, Nicaragua, might have an unsexy record of 10-7 (8 KOs), but he has lost only to world-class boxers such as Ishmael Davis, Alex Bray, Avious Griffin and Uisma Lima. He is also known for his hard punching power.
“I do not want to go the distance with this guy,” Griffiths said. “This guy can crack, so I do not want to be taking damage from this guy.”
Knockout streaks can build fanbases. A great example would be Edgar Berlanga, who recorded 16 first-round knockouts to start his career. It made him a star. Miguel Cotto also amassed a huge knockout streak to start his career. But the pressure to score a knockout every time can affect a fighter’s approach. And although early finishes are eye-catching headline-grabbers, they’re not conducive to gaining experience.
“To a certain extent, I want to keep the streak,” Griffiths said. “When you have a fan-friendly style, you want to keep pleasing the fans. But as a fighter, you have to learn it is not about the fans all the time.
“It is a blessing. At the same time, it is just hard to keep doing it.”
Griffiths last fought in July when he knocked out David Lobo Ramirez in the fourth round, but he has yet to go past the fifth round.
“I look at the situation I am in as a blessing,” Griffiths said. “That I am in tough situations where I need to perform.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
