Miguel Vazquez vs. Oliver Flores | MTK ESPN+ - October 2, 2021

[Ruthless-RKO]

Miguel Vazquez-Oliver Flores Lightweight Showdown Headlines Mexican Fight Night LIVE and Exclusively on ESPN+ – Streaming action from Monterrey begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

Former lightweight world champion Miguel Vazquez continues his march back to contender status this Saturday, Oct. 2 in a 10-round lightweight main event against former world title challenger Oliver “Trombita” Flores at Verite Social Venue in Monterrey, Mexico.

Vazquez-Flores and a full slate of undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Vazquez (43-10, 17 KOs) held the IBF lightweight world title for more than four years, from August 2010 to September 2014, and made six successful title defenses. He is 9-6 in his last 15 bouts, a run of fighting top competition that’s included a ninth-round stoppage defeat to current undisputed junior welterweight world champion Josh Taylor and last October’s highly controversial split decision loss to Lewis Ritson. He rebounded from the Ritson disappointment with April’s seventh-round TKO over Isai Hernandez. Flores (30-3-2, 19 KOs), from Leon, Nicaragua, challenged Takashi Uchiyama in 2015 for the WBA super featherweight world title, falling via third-round TKO. He is 3-1 since that setback and has not fought since a second-round TKO win over Rolando Giono in September 2019.

In other streaming action on ESPN+:

• The heavyweight co-feature will see American southpaw hopeful Brandon Moore (9-0, 5 KOs) fight hometown favorite Jesus Angel Nerio (15-9-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-rounder.

• Mexican junior welterweight puncher Jimerr “Mortero” Espinosa (10-0, 9 KOs) looks to extend his knockout streak to four against Jorge Luis Melendez (14-7-2, 8 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

• Rising Cuban contender Neslan “Pitbull” Machado (17-0, 8 KOs) will face the upset-minded Alan “Malagueno” Salazar (11-8-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-rounder at a contract weight of 124 pounds. The 25-year-old Machado previously won the WBA International and WBC Latino belts at 122 pounds. Salazar has lost only once by stoppage.

• In an eight-round junior welterweight contest, Christian Uruzquieta (19-4-2, 7 KOs), unbeaten in his last three fights, will take on 30-fight veteran Juan Ocura (13-15-2, 6 KOs).

• Featherweight Jonathan “Geo Don” Lopez (4-0, 2 KOs), an 18-year-old phenom from Puerto Rico, will step up in an eight-rounder against Jorge Amaya Diaz (6-1, 3 KOs), who has never been knocked out as a pro.

• Dominican junior welterweight standout Hendri Cedeño Martinez (3-0, 3 KOs) will look to notch the third first-round knockout of his young career in a four-rounder against Mexico City native Oscar Moreno (2-2), winner of two straight fights.

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Full Card Weigh in Report

Miguel Vazquez will enter this ring this weekend at his lightest weight in more than a decade.

The former IBF lightweight titlist weighed 134 pounds for his scheduled 10-round contest versus Nicaragua’s Oliver Flores, which takes place Saturday evening live on ESPN+ and IFL TV from Verite Social Club in Monterrey, Mexico.

Flores (30-3-2, 19KOs) was slightly heavier, though at 134 ½ pounds still well within the lightweight limit. It is the lightest weight for the 30-year-old southpaw since 2017, when he weighed 134 pounds in a ten-round decision defeat to then-unbeaten lightweight prospect Felix Verdejo.

Vazquez has campaigned at junior welterweight since 2016, moving up after a loss to Argenis Mendez in October 2015. The defeat came two fights after dropping a twelve-round, split decision to Mickey Bey in September 2014, bringing an end to his four-year IBF lightweight title reign.

Among his eight successful defenses was a twelve-round win over Ricardo Dominguez in November 2010, where Vazquez weighed a career-low 133 ½ pounds. Vazquez became the first to beat Breidis Prescott prior to winning the belt, which he defended against unbeaten contenders Leonardo ‘Lenny Z’ Zappavigna, Mercito Gesta and Denis Shafikov over the course of his lengthy title reign.

Mixed results have come of Vazquez’s tour at junior welterweight, including the first stoppage loss of his career in falling to Josh Taylor inside of nine rounds in November 2017. Taylor has since become the undisputed junior welterweight champion.

Vazquez’s last true fight at junior welterweight came last October, landing on the wrong end of a highly questionable twelve-round, split decision in favor of Lewis Ritson. He has since returned to lightweight, earning a seventh-round stoppage of Isai Hernandez this past April at this very venue.

Flores has won three straight, though fighting for the first time since September 2019. The well-traveled Nicaraguan has only lost to the sport’s top talents, with defeats coming versus Verdejo, Miguel Berchelt—who went on to enjoy a lengthy junior lightweight title reign—and then-unbeaten WBC junior lightweight titlist Takashi Uchiyama in December 2015.

In the co-main event, undefeated heavyweight Brandon Moore (9-0, 5 KOs) is back, facing Jesus Angel ‘Dandy’ Nerio (15-9-1, 6 KOs) for the WBC USNBC heavyweight title. Moore weighed 244.5, while Nerio—who moved up to heavyweight last November—weighed a career-high 213.9 pounds.

Below are the weights for the remaining undercard bouts which will air on ESPN+ and IFL TV beginning 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. local time.

Jimmer Espinosa (10-0, 9KOs), Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, 139 ¾ pounds vs. Jose Luis Melendez (14-7-2, 8 KOs), Zapopan, Mexico, 138 ½ pounds—8 rounds, junior welterweight.

Neslan Machado (17-0, 8 KOs), Miami (via Cuba), 124 ¾ pounds vs. Alan Salazar (11-8-1, 3 KOs), Mexico City 123.9 pounds—junior featherweight

Christian Uruzquieta (19-4-2, 7 KOs), Mexico City, 149 ½ pounds vs. Juan Ocura (13-15-2, 6 KOs), Sabinas, California, 147 ½ pounds—6 rounds, welterweight

Jonathan ‘Geo Don’ Lopez (4-0, 2 KOs), Orlando (via Puerto Rico), 127.6 pounds vs. Jorge Amaya (6-1, 3 KOs), Gomez Palacio, Mexico, 127 pounds—6 rounds, featherweight

[goose 5]

I can't find this card on ESPN plus ; Is it still on ?

[Fredyp]

I called and they told me it’s not on the schedule anymore. It looks like it’s on IFT

[Ruthless-RKO]

Full card.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Vazquez won a 10 round decision.