Diego Pacheco vs. Immanuwel Aleem | DAZN - July 18, 2026

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Hearn targets July for Pacheco's return, Cruz-Bell eliminator

Eddie Hearn is lining up two of his fighters for summertime returns with championship implications.

The Matchroom Boxing chief recently discussed the future of Diego Pacheco (25-0, 18 KOs), who fought three times in 2025, going undefeated against Steven Nelson, Trevor McCumby and Kevin Lee Sadjo. He's yet to fight this year but that's expected to change.

“It looks like July 18,” Hearn said. “[Pacheco] will fight in Los Angeles on his own show.”

Hearn didn’t mention an opponent, but The Ring’s No. 6 super middleweight was recently ordered to fight Troy Williamson (22-4-1, 16 KOs) in an IBF eliminator. The winner of that bout would be the mandatory contender for Osleys Iglesias, the IBF champion.

Pacheco, according to Hearn, will have a well-built card to support him, including Andy Cruz vs. Albert Bell.
“You’ll see that on the Pacheco card,” he said. “This Pacheco card is gonna be red hot.”

After weeks of stagnant negotiations, Matchroom won the purse bids to stage the fight, putting up $298,000 to do so. The winner will be mandatory challenger to IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla.

Bell, a 33-year-old who’s ranked No. 3 in the IBF at 135 pounds, is unbeaten in 28 fights, albeit against lower competition. His last appearance came in August where scored a lopsided points win over Keith Hunter.

Cruz (6-1, 3 KOs), a 2020 Olympic gold medalist, lost by majority decision against Muratalla in his first crack at a world title in January.

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DIEGO PACHECO TO RETURN VS. ALEEM ON JULY 18, CRUZ-BELL IN CO-MAIN

Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco is set for another homecoming.

Pacheco (25-0, 18 KOs) will return July 18 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, against Immanuwel Aleem (22-4-3, 14 KOs) to headline a Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN, it was announced on Saturday.

The long-planned IBF lightweight title eliminator bout between Andy Cruz (6-1, 3 KOs) and Albert Bell (28-0, 9 KOs) will be slotted in the co-main event spot.

In a parallel move, Matchroom also announced it signed Pacheco to a long-term extension. Pacheco has been promoted by Matchroom ever since his third pro fight in 2019.

Also set to be featured on the card are Arnold Gonzalez, Leo Atang, and Frank Espinoza.

Pacheco, The Ring’s No. 6-rated fighter at 168 pounds, left plenty to be desired from his 2025 campaign, which featured workmanlike, 12-round unanimous decision wins against Steven Nelson, Trevor McCumby and Kevin Lele Sadjo.

Pacheco was even dropped in his last contest against Sadjo in December, which marked his first fight away from longtime coach Jose Benavidez Sr., the father and trainer of David Benavidez.

Amid lukewarm performances and changes in management and coaching, Pacheco also passed on ordered fights against the likes of Christian Mbilli and Hamzah Sheeraz. Mbilli (WBC) and Sheeraz (WBO) have since both gone on to claim shares of titles in the division in recent months.

Pacheco, a 25-year-old from Los Angeles, will now return home to headline a show in Southern California for a third time, all while seeking to propel his career toward a title path.

Hall of Fame fighter and world-class coach Buddy McGirt will be tasked with getting Pacheco to the promised land in what is a serious step back in competition.
Aleem last fought in March and pushed Lester Martinez, The Ring’s No. 4-ranked super middleweight, to the distance during a lopsided, 12-round unanimous decision defeat, and his resume is devoid of a significant win.

[MPW]

This is a big fight for Pacheco. He can't afford another off performance, especially matching up against a fighter coming off a UD loss to highly-rated Martinez (no shame in that) and in need of his own bounce-back effort.

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[Cent0089]

So, instead of facing Lester Martinez, he is facing guy, who lost 108-120 to him. LOL

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Diego Pacheco renews with Matchroom, returns to 'War Grounds' July 18 versus Immanuwel Aleem

Diego Pacheco, the consensus top-10 ranked unbeaten super middleweight, will return to the ring and to Matchroom Boxing July 18, when he meets recent WBC interim title challenger Immanuwel Aleem.

The promotion announced Saturday, with both fighters in attendance before Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez’s WBA bantamweight title fight against champion Antonio Vargas, that the bout will take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, streamed by DAZN.

The 25-year-old Pacheco 25-0 (18KOs) last fought December 13 in Stockton, California, defeating Kevin Lele Sadjo by scores of 116-111, 117-110, and 115-112.

But South Central Los Angeles’ Pacheco was knocked down in the eighth round, and his third consecutive unanimous decision inspired wholesale changes.

Pacheco moved to a new manager, Sheer Sports, which counts veteran fight man Robert Diaz on its team, and Pacheco also aligned with a new trainer, the blunt-speaking International Hall of Fame fighter Buddy McGirt.

Pacheco’s earlier contract with promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing was to expire this summer, but was instead renewed.

“I’m looking forward to taking him to the world title,” Diaz told BS of Pacheco, the former WBO top-ranked contender to then-168 lbs champion Canelo Alvarez.

Pacheco’s flat showing in January 2025 versus Steven Nelson, and the other decisions, contributed to his rankings fall, but he remains No. 3 to champion Hamzah Sheeraz in the WBO, No. 4 to IBF champion Osleys Iglesias, No. 4 behind full champion Christian Mbilli and interim champion Lester Martinez in the WBC and No. 7 to new WBA champion Jaime Munguia.

Pacheco returns to Carson’s outdoor venue, where several fights of the year have occurred, after knocking out former middleweight title challenger Maciej Sulecki there in 2004 in a DAZN main event versus IBF No. 3-rated Albert Bell 28-0 (9KOs) of Ohio.

In the 32-year-old Aleem, 22-4-3 (14 KOs), Pacheco meets the WBC’s No.14-ranked contender who was defeated by the unbeaten Martinez by unanimous decision on March 21 in San Bernardino, California.

‘I’m excited [Pacheco] will be back with Matchroom and back fighting in the summer at the ‘War Grounds,’ where we’ll see a star in the making,” Diaz said.

Recent IBF lightweight title challenger and 2021 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz,6-1 (3 KOs), will fight in the co-main event versus IBF No. 3-rated Albert Bell 28-0 (9 KOs) of Ohio.