Yokasta Valle made a point to be ringside for the latest step in Seniesa Estrada’s career.
She then made a point to join her divisional rival in the ring and make clear in no uncertain terms her plans to fully unify the strawweight titles.
“I’m not afraid of you. You have what I want, and I have what you want,” Valle told Estrada shortly after the unbeaten strawweight champion’s win over Leonela Yudica this past Friday at The Palms in Las Vegas. “In order to call yourself the best pound-for-pound, you have to go through me.”
Estrada (25-0, 9KOs) made her fourth overall title defense and first as unified WBC/WBA titlist with a ten-round decision over Argentina’s Yudica (19-2-3, 1KO), a former longtime IBF flyweight titlist. Their ESPN+ main event saw East Los Angeles’ Estrada overcome a stiff challenge to prevail by scores of 97-93 on all three scorecards to remain unbeaten.
Valle (28-2, 9KOs—a three-division champ—holds the IBF and WBO belts at strawweight. She previously held major titles at the women’s exclusive 102-pound atomweight division and at junior flyweight.
Friday’s business trip from Costa Rica came as part of a huge fight weekend in Las Vegas that also included the Terence Crawford-Errol Spence undisputed championship. Her priority, however, was to stare down Estrada in person and remind her what she brings to the table.
“I am a true world champion,” insisted Valle “I’ve won [the IBF strawweight title] in Spain. I’ve fought in Germany and here in America. I’ve been everywhere to win and defend my titles in three different weight divisions.
“You know what, you need to fight me in Costa Rica where I fill stadiums, not theaters. I really didn’t like the offer they made to me. But we can make her an offer to come see me in Costa Rica.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox