Miguel Roman vs. Mauricio Lara - October 18, 2025

[Ruthless-RKO]

Miguel Roman vs. Mauricio Lara Clash Promises Fireworks

It may be a quiet weekend of boxing but there is a fight in Mexico that has gone under the radar and it promises action.

Former WBA featherweight titleholder Mauricio Lara (28-3-2, 21 knockouts) and former three-time world title challenger Miguel Roman (71-14, 51 KOs) will meet tonight in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

The scheduled 10-round junior lightweight fight has huge ramifications for both men's careers, and neither can afford a defeat.

"It will be a war," promised Roman. "I will give all my heart. If I lose, I will retire from boxing."

While the younger, Lara, hopes to use the fight to kickstart his once-promising career.

"I'm back and ready for the big-league fights after beating Roman," said Lara.

Roman has been a professional since 2003. During his career, he has held the Mexican bantamweight title and various WBC regional belts at different weights.

The 39-year-old has come up short against WBA featherweight titlist Jonathan Barros (UD 12) in 2011, WBC lightweight beltholder Antonio DeMarco (KO 5) in 2012 and WBC junior lightweight kingpin Miguel Berchelt (TKO 9) in 2018.

He has also shared the ring with several other former or future world champions including Cesar Soto (SD 10/UD 10), Takashi Miura (L KO 12), Orlando Salido (TKO 9) and O'Shaquie Foster (L KO 9) in November 2020. He is unbeaten in 10 fights since the Foster fight.

Lara has been a professional for a decade. He lost his debut but reeled off 11 wins before being stopped by Eliot Chavez (KO 1). "Bronco" got back to winning ways before he got his big break travelling to England where he stunned previously unbeaten Josh Warrington (TKO 9). The two rematched seven months later but an early cut saw the fight declared a second-round technical draw.

The Mexico City resident stayed busy and returned to England where he scored a come from behind knockout over Leigh Wood (KO 9) to claim the WBA 126-pound title in February 2023. The two met in a direct rematch just three months later, this time a lacklustre Lara missed weight, while Wood boxed expertly and regained his title by lopsided 12-round unanimous decision.

Lara, still only 27, has fought three times since and looked a shadow of his former self. Earlier this year, he was banned by UKAD for two years for taking a banned substance.

[Ruthless-RKO]

this is tonight.

No idea if it’s on TV

Maybe someone can find a stream somewhere.

[goose 5]

Roman is still around ? Lara wins this one, imo.

[handsofstone]

Lara puts Roman away inside a round, dropped him with a right hand then was hurting him before the ref stepped in, maybe a tad early but no doubt Roman was hurt

[Ruthless-RKO]

MAURICIO LARA SCORES 1ST-ROUND TKO VS. MIGUEL ROMAN ON ROAD BACK TO ELITE

Former WBA featherweight world champion Mauricio Lara stopped Miguel Roman in the first round of their scheduled 10-round junior lightweight contest in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Heading into their meeting, a fun and fan-friendly shootout looked on the cards but Lara, the younger man by 12 years, was in no mood to wait around.

Lara (29-3-2, 22 KOs) landed a nice right hand that dropped Roman midway through the opening round. Roman was back on his feet at the count of three.

Lara smelled blood and pressed forward, landing a perfectly timed left hook forcing Roman onto the ropes. He swarmed, connecting on another powerful left hook while Roman did his best to cover up but was visibly hurt and frantically tried using his vast fight experience to weather the storm.

That proved futile though and after being sent backwards by another left hook, the 39-year-old was mercifully stopped by the referee with 55 seconds left in the round.

Roman (71-15, 51 KOs) had promised to retire after this fight, had he lost. The two-time world title challenger didn't even have a chance to get going against a motivated former titleholder keen to return to the top table after rebuilding on the domestic circuit.

This win potentially vaults Lara back into potentially big fights at junior lightweight, which is packed full of many exciting options.

He made a name for himself as an unheralded underdog on British shores, who dropped and stopped then-unbeaten former IBF champion Josh Warrington in February 2021.

Although their rematch ended prematurely seven months later, he parlayed his earlier success into a Matchroom deal and featured on five promotional shows across three continents before news of his two-year UKAD ban became public in March.

As it was backdated to his Leigh Wood rematch defeat last year, he'll be reinstated again in March 2026 but must wait before getting the all-clear to return outside Mexico.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[giacomino]

Amazed Mickey is still fighting. He’s been going at it as a pro for more than 20 years and been in some real wars