Top Rank/UniMas Extension Begins with Saturday's '16 Premiere

By Jake Donovan

All fighters made weight for the 2016 season premiere of Solo Boxeo Tecate on UniMas, which airs live from The Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas.

The makeshift headliner is a scheduled eight-round super featherweight bout between unbeaten Erick De Leon and Fidel Navarrete. Both fighters were well within the divisional limit despite taking the fight on short notice. De Leon (11-0, 5KOs) – a Mexico-born southpaw who now fights out of Detroit – came in at 129 lbs., while Indiana’s Navaratte (8-1-2, 4KOs) was slightly lighter at 128.75 lbs.

Opening the telecast, Matt Korobov (24-1, 14KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since his failed title bid versus Andy Lee more than a year ago. The former amateur standout – who represented his native Russia in the 2008 Olympics - faces Josue Ovando in an over-the-limit middleweight bout also scheduled for eight rounds.

Korobov tipped the scales at 163.75 lbs. in a comeback fight that has been several months in the making. It’s been a struggle to get the once-beaten middleweight contender back in the ring, who has been out since his knockout loss to Lee in their Dec. ’14 vacant title fight. Several non-televised undercard opportunities fell through before getting to this point.

On the other side of the equation, Ovando (14-8-1, 11KOs) enjoys a quick turnaround and a steady stream of activity. The 26-year old journeyman from Guadalajara, Mexico – who weighed 163.5 lbs. – is coming off of a hard-fought decision loss to unbeaten Hugo Centeno last month in San Antonio, a bout that aired live on NBC Sports Network.

Saturday’s show marks not just the start of the 2016 season, but also kicks off a renewed two-year pact with Top Rank. The extension is yet another highlight of Top Rank founder and Hall-of-Fame promoter Bob Arum celebrating his 50th anniversary in boxing come this spring.

“We are very enthusiastic about this (renewed) deal and continuing our partnership with the great folks at UniMas and Univision,” Arum told BoxingScene.com.

FULL WEIGHTS

Erick De Leon, 129 lbs. vs. Fidel Navarrete 128.75 lbs. – 8 rounds, super featherweight
Matt Korobov 163.75 lbs. vs. Josue Ovando 163.5 lbs. – 8 rounds, super middleweight
John Vera 160.75 lbs. vs. William Johnson 164 lbs. – 6 rounds, middleweight
Alexander Besputin 149.25 lbs. vs. K’Lon Spencer 151.5 lbs. – 6 rounds, super welterweight
Johnny Determan 118.5 lbs vs. Oscar Mojica 118.5 lbs. – 6 rounds, bantamweight
Amon Rashidi 147.25 lbs. vs. Marquis Hawthorn 145.75 lbs. – 4 rounds, weltereeight
Jarvis Sheppard 153.25 lbs. vs. Nubian Houston 151.75 lbs. – 4 rounds, super welterweight

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox