Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Karim Arce - June 14, 2025

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Juan Francisco Estrada set for June 14 hometown headliner in Hermosillo

Juan Francisco Estrada is set to resume his storied career.

Boxing Scene has confirmed that the former two-division champion will return to the ring on June 14 in his hometown of Hermosillo, Mexico. Estrada, 44-4 (28 KOs), will face countryman Karim Arce, 21-2-2 (8 KOs), to officially begin his bantamweight campaign.

ESPN Deportes’ Salvador ‘Chava’ Rodriguez was the first to report the development.

The fight will mark the first for Estrada, 35, since his seventh-round knockout loss to Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, 21-0 (14 KOs), last June 29 in Phoenix, Arizona. It marked the end of his lineal and WBC junior bantamweight championship reign, though “El Gallo” was able to drop the unbeaten pound-for-pound entrant.

Estrada was dropped twice himself and was counted out right at the end of the seventh round of their DAZN headliner.

The loss ended an eight-fight win streak spanning six years. Included among that run was an April 2019 points win over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai to begin his second championship reign, while he also avenged a defeat from their February 2018 thriller.

The highlights among Estrada’s reign were the second and third entries of his thrilling trilogy with fellow legend Roman ‘Chocolatito Gonzalez. Their first meeting came in November 2012, when Nicaragua’s Gonzalez outpointed Estrada in the final defense of his WBA junior flyweight title reign.

Estrada went on to win the WBA and IBF flyweight titles before both he and Gonzalez again moved up in weight. Their March 2021 rematch was among the year’s best, though many patrons took issue with the outcome. Estrada prevailed via disputed split decision to unify the lineal, WBC and WBA titles.

Their December 2022 rubber match saw Estrada edge Gonzalez via majority decision to retain his lineal crown and WBC title in Glendale, Arizona. He wound up sitting out all of 2023, in large part due to a failed bid to secure a unification bout with then WBA titlist Kazuto Ioka.

Arce will step up in class for the occasion, as he also returns from a lengthy ring absence.

The 27-year-old fringe contender from Los Mochis ended a two-year-hiatus following an August 2022 knockout loss with an eight-round decision win over Kevin Villanueva. Arce won by scores of 78-70, 78-70 and 77-71 in his rust shaker last July 6 in Guasave, Mexico.

Arce’s lone other career defeat came via ninth-round knockout to then-unbeaten David Cuellar in a June 2021 clash in his Los Mochis hometown.

Estrada last fought in his hometown in September 2022, when he edged countryman Argi Cortes in their spirited clash to defend his lineal junior bantamweight clash. He is 7-0 in Hermosillo, which hosted his August 2008 pro debut.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight week!!

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Here's what's known about the fight:

Date: June 14, 2025.
Location: Hermosillo, Mexico.
Opponent: Karim Arce.
Fight Type: Estrada's bantamweight debut.
Potential Broadcast: Discussions are ongoing about DAZN broadcasting the event.

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https://ringmagazine.com/en/news/juan-f ... n-nasukawa

[Evander]

Long layoff for Estrada
Been a year since the Bam fight

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Juan Francisco Estrada and Karim Arce make weight for bantamweight clash

Juan Francisco Estrada is officially set for his quest to become a three-division titlist.

The former two-division champion took to the scales on Friday, where he weighed 119lbs – his heaviest in more than six years. It set the stage for Estrada’s showdown with countryman Karim Arce, who came in at the same weight.

Both boxers arrived in supreme condition and were respectful during the ceremony, complete with handshake during their obligatory staredown. Their scheduled ten-round contest will air live this Saturday on TV Azteca from Centro de Usos Multiples in Estrada’s hometown of Hermosillo, Mexico.

Estrada, 44-4 (28 KOs), has primarily fought at junior bantamweight since 2016. His lone fight well above that limit came in December 2018, when he was a career heaviest 120 ¼ pounds in a seventh-round knockout win in Carson, California.

The feat came one fight prior to his unanimous decision victory over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai to claim the lineal and WBC 115lbs title in their April 2019 rematch.

Five successful title defenses followed – including a pair of narrow victories over fellow ring legend and longtime rival Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez. The reign ended last June 29, when unbeaten pound-for-pound entrant Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, 21-0 (14 KOs), stopped Estrada in the seventh round with a body shot in Phoenix, Arizona. Both fighters hit the deck in the action fight before Estrada failed to beat the count at the end of round seven.

Arce, 21-2-2 (8 KOs), actually moved in the opposite direction in terms of the scales.

The 27-year-old fringe contender weighed at his lightest since a June 2021 win at junior bantamweight when he was 114.75lbs. That proved a poor night for Arce, as then-unbeaten David Cuellar stopped him in the ninth round.

One fight later, Arce was a career-heaviest 125.25lbs before he settled in at junior featherweight for each of his last three starts.

Arce is the nephew of the wildly popular Jorge Arce, a former multi-division titlist who was known for his all-action style during his eighteen-year career.

Also on the show, 17-year-old Camila Zamorano, 11-0 (7 KOs), aims to continue her rapid rise to contention. The locally based atomweight was 101.5lbs for a scheduled ten-round clash with Japan’s Mika Iwakawa, 13-7-1 (4 KOs), who was 101lbs for just her second career road fight.

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Juan Francisco Estrada drops Karim Arce three times, wins in return

The bantamweight journey is officially underway for Juan Francisco Estrada.

A warm reception awaited the former two-division champion at home Saturday evening at Centro de Usos Multiples in Hermosillo, Mexico. Estrada soaked in the cheers ahead of his eventual 10-round unanimous decision win over Karim Arce.

Scores were 100-87, 99-88 and 98-89 for Estrada in the TV Azteca main event.

The fight marked the first piece of ring action for Estrada since his seventh-round knockout defeat to Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez last June 29 in Phoenix. It marked the end of a five-year-plus lineal 115lbs championship reign for “El Gallo” as well as his final fight at the weight.

Now campaigning at 118lbs, Estrada seemed to quickly adjust to the new weight.

It did take a moment for him to settle into a groove, however.

Arce began the fight well-intended and without fear of his celebrated opponent. The 27-year-old fringe contender from Los Mochis – whose uncle is former multi-division titlist Jorge Arce – stood his ground early while Estrada used the opening round to reacclimate to the ring after a 51-week absence.

It didn’t take long for Estrada to find his home run swing. The 35-year-old local hero hurt Arce to the body and literally ran across the ring to follow up on his attack. A volley of power shots downstairs forced Arce to the canvas late in the frame.

Arce beat the count and made it out of the round. He then benefited from an extended break between rounds; for reasons unknown, the referee took extra time to begin the third round.

Estrada continued on his attack. Arce used his opponent’s aggression to his own advantage as he connected with a left hook upstairs. Estrada continued to target the body, particularly with his left hook.

Arce appeared to be in trouble once again when Estrada pinned him against the ropes in the fifth. Estrada launched a two-fisted attack, but Arce withstood the storm and came back to enjoy a productive sixth round. Estrada mounted a comeback late in the round and then used lateral movement to slow down Arce’s attempted attack in the seventh.

A brief moment in the eighth saw Estrada switch to southpaw. Arce quickly adapted and managed to land a right hand upstairs. Estrada returned to his conventional stance and landed traditional 1-2 combinations upstairs.

Arce managed to rally late and provide a few nervous moments for Estrada in the eighth and ninth rounds. Estrada was also forced to contend with a cut over his left eye, though it never became a factor.

The best was saved for the last round, as Estrada stripped away any remaining thoughts of a letdown, or worse.

Estrada unloaded on Arce and twice floored his countryman inside the final minute. A series of power shots upstairs was capped by a final right hand to force Arce to a knee. Estrada repeated the sequence while he trapped Arce in a corner to produce the bout’s third and final knockdown.

Arce, 22-3-1 (8 KOs), made it to the final bell but was dealt his second defeat in a three-fight span.

Meanwhile, Estrada returned to the win column for the first time in 30 months. The last time his arm was raised in victory came in December 2022, when he defeated Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, 52-4 (42 KOs), in their thrilling rubber match to go up 2-1 in their memorable series.

The bout marked the fifth and final defense of Estrada’s lineal junior bantamweight championship. It was followed by his abovementioned knockout loss to Rodriguez, 21-0 (14 KOs), and then an extended break before the decision came to return at bantamweight.

The evening’s co-feature saw Camila Zamorano take the next step in her promising career.

Zamorano, a 17-year-old atomweight, claimed a dominant 10-round unanimous decision over Japan’s Mika Iwakawa, 13-8-1 (4 KOs). Scores were 98-92, 100-90 and 100-90 for Zamorano, now 12-0 (1 KO), who will target a major title fight within her next few starts.