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Xander Zayas-Abass Baraou unification bout eyed for January 31 in San Juan

Xander Zayas spoke his wish list into existence.

Boxing Scene has learned that unbeaten WBO 154lbs titlist Zayas is set to face WBA counterpart Abass Baraou on January 31 at the famed Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan. The bout is expected to be formally announced during a November 12 press conference to be held on site.

Ring Magazine was first to report that terms were reached, barely a week after the two sides reached a verbal agreement, as Boxing Scene previously reported.

Zayas, 22-0 (13 KOs) – a Puerto Rico-born boxer based in South Florida – and Germany’s Baraou, 22-0 (13 KOs), will each make the first defense of the belts they claimed earlier this summer.

The WBO belt was nabbed by Zayas in a 12-round unanimous decision win over Jorge Garcia on July 26 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Zayas’ feat topped the final telecast of promoter Top Rank’s seven-year boxing series with ESPN, with the bulk of the roster facing uncertainty over next steps.

Top Rank remains without a network or streaming deal, though hard plans remained for Zayas, 23, to make his first title defense in P.R. The homecoming bout is Zayas’ first on his home island since 2020 – a knockout win in just his fourth bout and just four months into his pro career.

There were talks of Zayas possibly facing Top Rank banner mate Giovanni Santillan, 34-1 (18 KOs), for this occasion. However, such a matchup would have been more of the same for Zayas, who wanted something far more memorable for his return to San Juan.

That led to the persistent pursuit of securing a two-belt showdown with Baraou.

This is good.

In the space of 2 months, we get two unifications at middleweight.

Zayas, Baraou Agree To 154-Pound Title Unification Fight Jan. 31 In San Juan

Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou have agreed to a deal for a junior middleweight title unification on Jan. 31 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, sources told The Ring on Thursday.

Zayas will defend his WBO title. Baraou will risk his WBA belt. It will be the first defense for each fighter.

Zayas is The Ring’s No. 6 boxer at 154 pounds, while Baraou is No. 10. For Zayas, it should be a dream scenario: a homecoming title defense on the island where he grew up.

He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital city. When Zayas was 11, he moved to South Florida, where he still resides and trains. Now 23, the rising star will look to unify titles in the stacked junior middleweight division.

Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) won the vacant title in July with a unanimous decision over Mexico’s Jorge Garcia in New York. Germany’s Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) won his belt with a major upset decision victory over Yoenis Tellez in August in Orlando.

Baraou, 31, dropped Tellez in the final round and captured the WBA interim title. He was later elevated when Terence Crawford vacated the WBA super welterweight title.

Baraou’s lone pro defeat was a split decision against former title challenger Jack Culcay in 2020.

I take it.
I'm gonna go with AB and the upset.

A good unification title fight between two somewhat comparable boxers. I slightly favor Baraou primarily based on his strong effort against Tellez, although Zayas has defeated some solid fighters (Spomer, Sosa, and Teixeira) and his last five opponents had a combined record of 136-13-1. This bout could prove to be a close and competitive one.

ABASS BARAOU AIMS TO SOLIDIFY TOP-DOG STATUS AT 154 POUNDS VS. XANDER ZAYAS

Xander Zayas – boxing’s youngest male champion at 23 – is set for his high-profile homecoming.

The WBO junior middleweight champion Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) is set to square off against WBA crown holder Abass Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) in a title unification bout on January 31 at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Top Rank announced on Monday.

The Ring reported last week that an agreement had been reached; a press conference is scheduled for Wednesday in Puerto Rico to begin building up the bout. Zayas is The Ring’s No. 6-rated fighter at 154 pounds while Baraou is No. 10.

“On January 31, we'll fulfill another dream,” Zayas said in a statement. “This time, I'll be fighting on my island. I'm going to unify two world titles in front of my people at Coliseo de Puerto Rico. We're going to make history together.”

Zayas captured the vacant crown he now carries by besting Jorge Garcia by unanimous decision in July. The WBO title was vacant once the sanctioning body stripped Sebastian Fundora in May. Fundora decided to defend his 154-pound WBC title in a rematch against Tim Tszyu instead of moving forward with his mandatory challenger and ordered bout against Zayas.

“From the moment Xander Zayas won his world title, it was clear that his first title defense had to take place in Puerto Rico,” said Top Rank boss Bob Arum. “The fact that he’ll be facing a fellow champion in front of a packed arena in San Juan makes it that much more special. The Puerto Rican fans are passionate and loyal and deserve to see their champion return home. This is not a routine title defense. Abass Baraou is a determined champion, an experienced road warrior who will embrace the challenge of fighting on Xander’s home turf.”
Baraou, a 31-year-old from Germany, set himself up for the sizable opportunity after scoring a unanimous decision against Yoenis Tellez in August. Baraou won the WBA interim title at the time and was elevated as the sanctioning body’s full titleholder in September after Terence Crawford left the division to face Canelo Alvarez.

“Xander is a great talent, and I give him full credit for stepping up and accepting this fight,” said Baraou. “Not everyone would take that risk, especially at this stage, but that’s what makes this matchup special. He has his country behind him, and I respect that, because I know what it means to carry that responsibility into the ring.

“I’m preparing to go into Puerto Rico, bring some real heat, and show the world that I’m a true force in this division. I’m not coming just to show up. I’m coming to make a statement, leave with another belt, and maybe even earn a few new Puerto Rican fans on the way out. When it’s all said and done, the world will know who the top dog at 154 really is.”

Also set to be featured on the card is second-generation upstart and junior bantamweight prospect Juanmita Lopez De Jesus (4-0, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

Abass Baraou vows to return home 'with another belt and a few more Puerto Rican fans'

It goes without saying that of the two, Abass Baraou had the far more difficult path than Xander Zayas in their respective title claims.

The same will apply for their forthcoming 154lbs title unification clash, where Baraou, 17-1 (9 KOs), once again hits the road in his quest for greatness. The visiting German boxer enjoyed his first taste of San Juan, Puerto Rico, during a kickoff press conference to formally announce their January 31 WBA/WBO junior middleweight title showdown.

“Coming to Puerto Rico and fighting Xander was an easy decision to make,” Baraou said during Wednesday’s session at Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, where their scheduled 12-round unification bout will take place. “I’m the man for the job. It’s not the first time I’m doing this. I’m on a mission and willing to go anywhere in the world to do it.

“I am looking forward to going back to Germany with another belt and a few more Puerto Rican fans. It can be knockout. It can be by decision. There will not be anything left untouched in that ring.”

Baraou walked through hell to claim his first title, an interim version of the WBA belt in his August 23 upset win over Yoenis Tellez at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. Tellez was the unbeaten secondary titleholder, the house fighter (presented by Boxlab Promotions) and the heavy favorite to prevail.

An exclamation point was placed on a career-best performance when Baraou floored Tellez in the 12th and final round of their thriller. It sealed an eventual unanimous decision victory, with the ultimate reward to come just three weeks later.

Terence Crawford vacated his full version of the WBA title once he entered the ring to challenge – and eventually defeat – undisputed 168lbs champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The development automatically triggered an upgrade in Baraou’s reign, though he didn’t at all seek a safe or easy opponent for his first title defense.

In fact, he wanted the same thing as Zayas, 22-0 (13 KOs). The shared mindset is fitting, as the two have sparred roughly 80 rounds together in past camps, including for their respective title wins.

To his credit, Zayas pushed hard for a formidable challenge for his own first defense, which was always budgeted as a homecoming headliner.

The unbeaten Boricua claimed the vacant WBO title in a lopsided points win over Jorge Garcia on July 26 in New York City. Zayas was just six weeks shy of his 23rd birthday and remains the youngest current active titleholder.

When presented with the opportunity to defend his title on home soil, Zayas – who was born in San Juan, where he lived until he was 13, when his family relocated to South Florida – pushed Top Rank and his immediate team to secure the best available challenge.

Baraou was not the biggest name available or even the first choice. All that mattered, though, is that he was the only fighter who immediately jumped at the opportunity.

“I’m always looking for great challenges,” insisted Baraou, who has won eight in a row since his lone career defeat more than five years ago. “I showed that in my last fight. Then I was offered this fight and was motivated by this great challenge.”

“This arena will be full of Puerto Ricans and I’m looking forward to that. I can’t wait for fight night.”

Xander Zayas embraces first step to joining Puerto Rican greats he’s idolized

Xander Zayas will never forget the night he could officially call himself a major titleholder.

In fact, he refused to part ways with the WBO 154lbs title, no matter the setting, following his July 26 landslide victory over Jorge Garcia in New York City. The task now is to provide a companion for that chip, which he aims to do in a January 31 unification bout with WBA counterpart Abass Baraou.

The clash of newly crowned titlists will headline at Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, where both met the press on Wednesday to formally announce their showdown.

“This is my baby. I sleep with it every time I can,” Zayas said with a prideful grin while looking down at the belt. “After the fight, I slept with it for like a week. I dedicated my life to it. No greater feeling than achieving my dream and now the chance to unify on January 31.

“I will sleep with this belt every night until February 1. Then it will have a partner. We're here to put on a show for Puerto Rico and on the island. There's no better way of doing it than unifying and rewriting history one more time.”

Barring any unexpected title changes in fights not yet on the calendar, the 23-year-old Zayas, 22-0 (13 KOs), will enter the bout as the sport’s youngest active male titleholder. Given his age and the backdrop of a home game, it would have been industry standard for the event to feature a less threatening challenge.

That’s just not who Zayas is or who he wants to represent. Certainly not in his first fight in P.R. since February 2020, barely four months into his pro career and – at age 17 – still at the hero worship portion of his journey.

Zayas – who was born in San Juan but relocated with his family to South Florida at age 13 - remains in awe of the Puerto Rican greats who blazed a trail before him.

Among the modern-day legends, he has direct and unlimited access to Amanda Serrano, the record-setting seven-division champion who frequently refers to Zayas as her little brother. Then there is Miguel Cotto, the Hall of Fame former four-division titlist who presented Zayas with his official WBO belt during a late summer ceremony in San Juan.

Outside the ring, Zayas aligned himself with another P.R. giant in entering a marketing deal with Rimas Sports, co-owned by global recording superstar Bad Bunny. The signing came after a concert held by the music icon in San Juan, where Zayas was invited on stage along with Hall of Fame former three-division champ Felix Trinidad, reigning lineal and unified strawweight king Oscar Collazo and WBO 108lbs titlist Rene Santiago.

“I have a great relationship with a lot of artists on the island,” stated Zayas. “The biggest among them is Bad Bunny, the number one artist in the world. I was honored when he had me as part of the (San Juan 30-show) residency here in Puerto Rico.”

Those relationships are not only cherished by Zayas, but also provide him with a sense of responsibility in carrying out his own career.

It’s why he pushed his team to do better with the opposition selection when discussion first began of a San Juan homecoming for his first title defense. A routine challenger just wasn’t going to cut it, not when he spent all of 2025 pursuing other big names, only for those other fighters – including Vergil Ortiz Jnr and Sebastian Fundora – looked elsewhere even after he welcomed the opportunity to challenge each.

That road led to Germany’s Baraou, a streaking junior middleweight who hits the road for the second straight time in a title setting. His August 23 upset win over Yoenis Tellez came with the interim version of the WBA title at stake in Orlando, Florida. Zayas was in attendance, mostly to lend support to his former sparring partner but also to lay the foundation for a future collision.

Baraou’s extraordinary effort that evening was further rewarded when he was upgraded to full titlist on September 13, once the bell sounded for Terence Crawford’s eventual points win over undisputed 168lbs champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Once Zayas got his way and improved the opponent choice previously offered by Top Rank, the first step was officially taken towards the unbeaten boxer one day joining the Puerto Rican greats he’s long idolized.

“It’s an honor to represent where I'm from,” said Zayas. “To represent my people, to represent Puerto Rico, and to put the pride of the island where it belongs, at the top. If you can dream it, you can do it.

“That's my message to them. We come from the same place, and there's nothing we can't do if we put in the work and we put the dedication in.”

XANDER ZAYAS, ABASS BARAOU READY FOR CHALLENGE OF UNIFICATION BOUT

Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou haven’t had to go far to find each other throughout their careers.

The 154-pound champions have sparred numerous rounds together in South Florida. Now, Zayas and Baraou will drop the headgear and sparring gloves for the biggest fight of their respective careers when they meet in a title unification bout on Jan. 31 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Zayas enters the fight holding the WBO title, while Baraou has the WBA belt.

“It's a very exciting fight for both of us,” Zayas said at a press conference in Puerto Rico on Wednesday. “A lot on the line for both of us. Our first title defense, to be for a unified championship, I feel like it's very special. Like he said, we're writing history."

"I'm the man for the job,” Baraou said. “It's not the first time I'm doing this. I'm on a mission, and I'm willing to go anywhere to accomplish my dream and my goals. Coming to Puerto Rico to face Xander was an easy decision for me to make. It's a hard fight, a great challenge as well, and that's what I'm looking for. We're sitting here, both of us, writing history. How can you say no to that?"

The fight represents a homecoming for Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs), who was born in San Juan and has only fought on his home island once, in 2020. Zayas won the vacant WBO title with a one-sided unanimous decision victory over Jorge Garcia on July 26 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The win made Zayas, 23, the youngest reigning champion in boxing at the time.

After winning the title, Zayas was hopeful that his first title defense would be in Puerto Rico. Instead, he’ll get even more than what he hoped for in facing Baraou.

"It's an honor to represent where I'm from, to represent my people, to represent Puerto Rico, and to put the pride of the island where it belongs, at the top," he said. "If you can dream it, you can do it. That's my message to them. We come from the same place, and there's nothing we can't do if we put in the work, and we put the dedication in."

Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) was more than willing to oblige with Zayas’ hopes of making his first title defense on his home island. The German champion nabbed the interim WBA belt with a unanimous decision in a back-and-forth bout against Yoenis Tellez on Aug. 23 at Caribe Royale in Orlando. Baraou, of Aalen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, was elevated to full champion after Terence Crawford vacated the belt.

Baraou, 31, is no stranger to going into enemy territory, including his win over Tellez. And he's more than ready to do it again when he faces Zayas.

“Everywhere I look, I get motivated,” Baraou said. “I come here, I see the arena, and it's going to be full of Puerto Ricans. I'm fully prepared for that. I can't wait for fight night. It's like music to my ears."

presser quotes

Xander Zayas

"It's an honor to represent where I'm from, to represent my people, to represent Puerto Rico, and to put the pride of the island where it belongs, at the top. If you can dream it, you can do it. That's my message to them. We come from the same place, and there's nothing we can't do if we put in the work and we put the dedication in."

"January 31st will be the biggest night of my life, but {the win over Garcia} was really special. You only become a world champion for the first time once, and that was my moment."

On previously sparring Baraou: "Sparring is sparring, and you cannot mix that up with a fight. It's completely different. There are completely different things at stake for both of us, but I have respect for Abass and his team. They've always been great people to us and have always been willing to help us when we needed help. We were able to help them every time they needed a hand, so it's a very exciting fight for both of us, a lot on the line for both of us. Our first title defense, to be for a unified championship, I feel like it's very special. Like he said, we're writing history."

On the previous boxing legends from Puerto Rico: "Those legends wrote history for Puerto Rico. They are legends in the sport and on the island. And for me, to represent Puerto Rico at the highest level and bring glory to my people means the world to me. That's what I do it for. I do it for my people, my family, my team, and I'm really excited and happy to be here January 31st."

On winning his first world title belt: "After the fight, I slept with it for like a week. It's everything that I dreamed of, everything that I worked for, everything that I dedicated my life to. We're here to put on a show for Puerto Rico and on the island. There's no better way of doing it than unifying and rewriting history one more time."

Abass Baraou

On his winning effort over Tellez: "That was a special fight for me. I knew I was going into enemy territory. I'm a man on a mission. I just had to empty the tank and find a little bit more strength to put him down as well. I don't know where that came from — don't ask me — but I'm determined when I'm on a mission. I'm willing to do any job."

On fighting Zayas in Puerto Rico: "I'm the man for the job. It's not the first time I'm doing this. I'm on a mission, and I'm willing to go anywhere to accomplish my dream, my goals. Coming to Puerto Rico to face Xander was an easy decision for me to make. It's a hard fight, a great challenge as well, and that's what I'm looking for. We're sitting here, both of us, writing history. How can you say no to that?"

On sparring Zayas: "Sparring is different than a fight. It might help, it might not. We will find out on fight night. Xander is a great talent. Respect to him for taking this fight. It's a risky fight for both of us, of course. He and his people are great people. There's nothing bad I can say about them. We exchanged words. We said we'd meet at the top, and we didn't know it would come so fast."

"I'm looking for great challenges. Going into my last fight, I didn't look past it. I just wanted to beat the guy. Then, Xander came into the ring, and it came to my mind that it would be a great challenge. Then, I was told that I had to go to Puerto Rico, and that was an extra motivation. Also, writing history for Germany... everywhere I look, I get motivated. I come here, I see the arena, and it's going to be full of Puerto Ricans. I'm fully prepared for that. I can't wait for fight night. It's like music to my ears."

I am a Baraou fan, but Xander is going to win this by decision.

I favor Baraou, but believe he will have to dominate the action to get the decision over Zayas in Puerto Rico.

Rohan Polanco-Christian Gomez to support Xander Zayas-Abass Baraou

Rohan Polanco will face Christian Gomez in a 10-round welterweight fight in the co-feature of the junior middleweight title unification between Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou on January 31 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In addition to Polanco-Gomez, Top Rank announced on Thursday that the Zayas-Baraou undercard will also include the junior middleweight debut of Giovani Santillan, 34-1 (18 KOs), and the return of Dominican middleweight Euri Cedeño, 13-0-1 (12 KOs), in separate 10-round bouts at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

Since moving up to welterweight early this year, Polanco, 17-0 (10 KOs), has stopped Juan Carlos Torres and won unanimous decisions over Fabian Maidana and Quinton Randall. A 2020/21 Olympian, Polanco has crept into the top-10 rankings of two of the sanctioning bodies.

“I’m not coming to play on January 31 – I'm coming to send a strong message to the division,” Polanco said. “Fighting as the co-main event at Coliseo de Puerto Rico is a great opportunity that I intend to take advantage of. I represent Dominican boxing. I'm hungry, fearless and determined to get closer to a world title opportunity.”

Mexico’s big-hitting Gomez, 23-6-1 (21 KOs) is coming off consecutive decision losses to Nicklaus Flaz and Alberto Palmetta, and has lost four of his past five starts.

Meanwhile, San Diego’s Santillan will face Brooklyn, New York’s Courtney Pennington, while Cedeño will meet Ivory Coast native Etoundi Michel William, 16-2 (12 KOs).

Abass Baraou says old sparring will surprise Xander Zayas: 'I know how he moves'

When Abass Baraou marches into enemy territory for a career-biggest fight to date, a familiar face will stand across from him.

Baraou's path to notching another resume-altering win will have to go through Xander Zayas when they meet in a WBA and WBO 154-pound unification title bout Jan. 31 at Coliseo De Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The two have sparred several times in recent years as world-level contenders and while Baraou isn't entirely dismissing the experience they've previously shared in the ring, doesn't put too much stock in what transpired when they wore headgear and 16-ounce gloves.

"I know how he moves [and] how he fights," Baraou told The Ring. "The fight is going to be way different. I can use it to my advantage, but I'm just focused on the fight. Sparring experience can hold a little bit of weight - that's not what I've been focusing on."

Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) and Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) both train out of South Florida. Baraou said that he and Zayas spent multiple training camps together, the last coming in 2024.

"We sparred a lot," Baraou said. "We did three or four camps maybe, a good amount of sparring."

Baraou, 31, won the interim WBA title with a thrilling unanimous decision victory over previously-unbeaten Yoenis Tellez on Aug. 23. The German champion capped the fight emphatically by dropping Tellez with 10 seconds remaining.

After the win, the unification clash between Baraou and Zayas was foreshadowed when they stood face to face in the ring.

Baraou was later elevated to full titleholder after Terence Crawford began his megafight with Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 13, thus relinquishing his junior middleweight champion status.

Zayas, 23, won the WBO strap with a one-sided unanimous decision victory over Jorge Garcia Perez on July 26. The win made Puerto Rico's Zayas the youngest reigning male world champion at the time.

With several rounds banked together and Zayas' start to his career, Baraou understands what he'll be up against on Jan. 31. That challenge will ultimately make the win that much sweeter, should Baraou become a unified champion in one of boxing's best divisions.

"I think he's a great fighter," Baraou said. "Talented, skillful, he will make a good fight with me. It will mean a lot, will show the world when I beat him what I'm really capable of."

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Abass Barou: 'I haven’t shown what I’m capable of yet'

When Abass Barou steps into the ring against Xander Zayas on January 31, he won’t be facing a total stranger.

The WBA junior middleweight champion, who is attempting to unify his belt with Zayas’ WBO title, says he has sparred a few times with his unbeaten opponent, which has helped him familiarize himself with what he will see in the ring.

“Xander is very talented. He has a lot of skills,” said Barou, 17-1 (9 KOs), according to a release from promoter Top Rank.

“I know he has good footwork and lots of skills. But I've put the work in, and I'm ready to go to Puerto Rico and become a unified champion."

The fight, which takes place at Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan, will see the world-traveled German fighting on his opponent’s home soil, a scenario he has experienced many times, like in 2024, when he traveled twice to England to defeat Sam Eggington and Macaulay McGowan. Barou says he doesn’t believe that the crowd being in his opponent’s favor will have any impact on the fight.

"I will always be myself in the ring. Even if the fight were in Germany, I’d have the same mindset. I don’t care where the fight is. There’s a man I have to beat to accomplish my goals. The fight is in Puerto Rico, but it doesn’t add more pressure,” said Barou, 31, of Berlin.

Barou became a champion in his most recent fight, in August, when he defeated Yoenis Tellez by unanimous decision in Orlando, Florida to win the WBA interim title, which was promptly upgraded to full status when Terence Crawford vacated the belt after moving up to 168lbs to become undisputed champion. While the fight was Barou’s introduction to the world stage, he says he has more abilities than fans have seen.

“I haven’t shown what I’m capable of yet. I have a lot of experience from my amateur career. I know how to adapt. If I have to fight more technically, I can. I know how to box. However, most of the time, I break down fighters. I can do that best. But it also depends on the situation. I can also show more skills,” said Barou, who is training for the fight in Miami, Florida.

“Coming forward is something I do well. Many fighters have issues with pressure. I haven’t seen a fighter who can stand a chance with mine yet. So, I know I can bring a lot of pressure in this fight. But we’ll see. That might be the key in this fight. We’ll see on fight night.”

While some may become complacent after achieving a major life goal like becoming world champion, Barou assures that isn’t the case with him.

“Becoming a champion has made me hungrier. It hasn’t changed my personal life. I’m still focused on boxing. But seeing all the opportunities and the fights that can be made is amazing, it’s made me more focused and hungrier,” said Barou.

I kind of lean toward Baraou taking this based on his aggressive and relentless pressure. If Zayas can handle it or at least occasionally negate it, I could see him winning a close fight.

What I fear is going to happen is that Baraou wins the fight, but Zayas gets the decision.

Unknown champion Abass Baraou ready to break through vs. Xander Zayas

Abass Baraou’s name didn’t ring a bell until he shelled Yoenis Tellez for the interim WBA junior middleweight title in August.

A month later, once Terence Crawford stepped up to super middleweight, Baraou was elevated as the full titleholder and emerged as a power player in boxing’s most stacked division.

Suddenly, it’s sink-or-swim time for Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) when he heads to the island of enchantment January 31 to engage against WBO champion Xander Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a title unification bout.

“Becoming a champion has made me hungrier,” Baraou said after a recent training session in Miami. “It hasn’t changed my personal life. I’m still focused on boxing. But seeing all the opportunities and the fights that can be made is amazing. It’s made me more focused and hungrier.

“I haven’t shown what I’m capable of yet. I have a lot of experience from my amateur career. I know how to adapt. If I have to fight more technically, I can. I know how to box. However, most of the time, I break down fighters. I can do that best. But it also depends on the situation. I can also show more skills.”

The little-known Baraou, 31, was born and raised in Berlin. He cut his teeth across Germany after turning pro in 2018 and graduated to fight several times in the United Kingdom crossing the Atlantic Ocean to take on Tellez in the United States as the B-side in his career-best win.

Baraou took on Tellez on a show backed by his opponent’s promoter and went on to knock down the Cuban in the 12th round to seal the deal with scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112. The busier Baraou landed 214 of 745 punches compared with 205 of 674 from Tellez in the back-and-forth bout.

“Coming forward is something I do well,” said Baraou. “Many fighters have issues with pressure. I haven’t seen a fighter who can stand a chance with mine yet. So, I know I can bring a lot of pressure in this fight. But we’ll see. That might be the key in this fight. We’ll see on fight night.”

Baraou, The Ring’s No. 8 fighter at 154 pounds, and Zayas, rated No. 5, are no strangers as they’ve sparred in recent years.

“Xander is very talented. He has a lot of skills,” said Baraou. “I’ve shared the ring with him many times. We’ve sparred, so I know he has good footwork and lots of skills.”

In a professional setting, Zayas beat Jorge Garcia Perez in July for the vacant crown he now holds. With the belt, Zayas also momentarily became the youngest male champion in the sport. Baraou is looking to spoil his rival’s homecoming party.

"I will always be myself in the ring,” said Baraou, whose lone loss came against Jack Culcay in 2020.

“Even if the fight were in Germany, I’d have the same mindset. I don’t care where the fight is. There’s a man I have to beat to accomplish my goals. The fight is in Puerto Rico, but it doesn’t add more pressure.”

With another solid showing against an equally unproven champion, Baraou, a plus-265 betting underdog, could be positioned to possibly pull off another shocker on enemy soil.

“I've put the work in, and I'm ready to go to Puerto Rico and become a unified champion,” he said. .

ZAYAS’ TRAINER: XANDER TENDS TO TAME FIGHTERS LIKE BARAOU, WHO WANT TO BANG

It won’t be the first time Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou have stepped into the ring against each other when they meet in a 154-pound unification title bout January 31.

Zayas and Baraou have spent numerous rounds and training camps sparring in South Florida ahead of their clash at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in Zayas’ hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Having witnessed what happened inside the squared circle between the 154-pound champions, Zayas’ longtime trainer, Javiel Centeno, believes Baraou will bring another level out of his prized pupil.

“I think Abass is a type of fighter that will bring out the best in Xander,” Centeno told The Ring. “They have sparred, probably sparred 60 to 80 rounds, something like that, but sparring is sparring. There are certain things that we’re specifically working on, so it’s not like Abass was seeing everything that we want to do, because we’re working on things specifically for his opponent at the time.

“It’s great that you get to see him, but we know he’s an aggressive fighter. We know that he’s durable. We know that he’s strong. There have been a lot of fighters who were aggressive before facing Xander. Xander tends to tame some of these fighters who want to come and be aggressive and bang.”

Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) holds the WBO title and is ranked fifth in The Ring's top 10. Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) is the WBA champion and eighth among The Ring's contenders for a vacant championship.

The unification bout between Zayas and Baraou will be just the second to take place in Puerto Rico. Ivan Calderon and Giovani Segura met in the other bout in August 2010, with Mexico’s Segura defeating Calderon of Puerto Rico by eighth-round knockout.

Zayas will fight in Puerto Rico for just the second time in his career, with his lone bout on his home island taking place in his fourth pro fight in 2020. Zayas, 23, defeated Jorge Garcia by unanimous decision July 26 to win the then-vacant WBO title and become boxing’s youngest champion at the time.

With a win over Baraou, he would be boxing’s youngest unified champion and the first Puerto Rican to accomplish the feat on home soil.

Baraou, 31, of Aalen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, pulled off an upset in his last bout, defeating previously unbeaten Yoenis Tellez by unanimous decision to win the WBA interim title August 23. Baraou and Tellez went back and forth for 11 rounds, and with the fight seemingly still hanging in the balance entering the final round, Baraou dropped Tellez in the waning moments of the fight to leave little doubt that he did enough to earn the best win of his career.

The prevailing wisdom is that sparring holds some, but not significant weight when compared to a real fight, let alone a unification title bout on the home soil of one of the champions. Despite Zayas and Baraou’s extensive experience against each other, Centeno believes the meaningful differences will play out in his fighter’s favor.

“It does help, but we understand as a coach and fighter, sparring is a little bit different,” Centeno said. “You have headgear, you have 16-ounce gloves and in this particular case, when Xander was sparring Abass, he always used 18-ounce gloves, so Abass never felt his true power. He’s going to be a little shocked.

“You do see certain nuances in the way they move. You see certain tendencies that they have, and those are things that we keep in our pocket, and we train for that. We also look to see what our sparring partners exposed in us and try to close those windows and doors as well. With Abass’ style, we had to make sure that certain things were adjusted, so that we could close all the doors that we needed closed for Abass.”

XANDER ZAYAS: BECOMING UNIFIED CHAMPION WILL BE 'MORE SPECIAL' IN PUERTO RICO

A chance to become a unified champion is special on its own, but doing so in your hometown adds more meaning.

WBO junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas can do just that on January 31 when facing Abass Baraou in a 154-pound title unification bout at Puerto Rico's Coliseo de San Juan - the same town he grew up before moving to the United States aged 11.

"Once I become the unified champion in Puerto Rico, it means the world because I'm going to make history," Zayas told The Ring. "I'm going to be the first Puerto Rican to become unified on Puerto Rican soil and youngest unified champion at the moment.

"I keep rewriting history. It excites me a lot to do it, and once I do in front of my people, it’s going to make it even more special."

Zayas-Baraou will be just the second such unification bout taking place in Puerto Rico. Ivan Calderon and Giovani Segura met in the other bout on Aug. 28, 2010, with Mexico's Segura defeating Puerto Rico's Calderon via eighth-round knockout.

Zayas, 23, will fight in Puerto Rico for the second time as a professional, having previously boxed there as a three-fight prospect in February 2020.



Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) won a then-vacant WBO belt when outpointing Jorge Garcia on July 26 in New York. Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) won the interim WBA title with an upset decision win over the previously-unbeaten Yoenis Tellez in Orlando the following month.

The German, 31, was later elevated to full champion after Terence Crawford vacated the belt for his super middleweight megafight with Canelo Alvarez on September 13.

Becoming a unified champion won't just represent the fulfillment of a dream for Zayas; it holds similar weight for his longtime trainer Javiel Centeno, and the rest of their team.

"It's special, the fact that this could happen in Puerto Rico," Centeno told The Ring. "It's one of his dreams, and his dreams are our dreams. We always tell him that as a team, we want the best for him and follow his dreams. We want to make his dreams happen."

Given the stakes and where the fight will take place, it adds another level of excitement for Zayas.

"I get to do it in front of my people," Zayas said. "I get to do it in front of my crowd, and they get to see me be crowned a unified world champion."

Zayas can hit but he can't punch.
It's hard training a naturally instinctive hitter to be a more well rounded boxer, it takes time.

XANDER ZAYAS VS. ABASS BARAOU STREAMING CHANNEL ANNOUNCED

The 154-pound unification bout between Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou finally has a streaming home.

Top Rank announced in a press release that the Zayas vs Baraou card on January 31 at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico, will be streamed on the Top Rank Classics FAST channel in the U.S. Top Rank Classics is available on The Roku Channel, Tubi, or Vizio on a smart TV.

The Mikaela Mayer vs. Mary Spencer and Rafael Espinoza vs. Arnold Khegai cards were also streamed on Top Rank Classics.

Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) enters the bout with the WBO title, while Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) holds the WBA belt. Zayas vs Baraou is the second world title unification bout to take place in Puerto Rico, with the other bout being Giovani Segura's TKO8 win over Ivan Calderon in August 2010.

Zayas, 23, who is from San Juan, Puerto Rico, will be fighting on his home island for just the second time in his career. He won the then-vacant WBO title with a unanimous decision victory over Jorge Garcia on July 26 at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York.

Baraou, 31, won the interim WBA title with an upset unanimous decision victory over the previously unbeaten Yoenis Tellez on August 23 at Caribe Royale in Orlando. He was elevated to full titlist when the previous champion, Terence Crawford, vacated the belt on September 13.

The broadcast begins at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 PT, with Zayas vs Baraou scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Ascending welterweight contender from the Dominican Republic, Rohan Polanco (17-0, 10 KOs), will face Christian Gomez (23-6-1, 21 KOs) at 9 p.m. ET.

Here is the rest of the card that will be streamed on Top Rank Classics:

Junior middleweight, 10 rounds: Giovani Santillan (34-1, 18 KOs) vs. Courtney Pennington (17-11-3, 7 KOs)
Middleweight, 10 rounds: Euri Cedeno (13-0-1, 12 KOs) vs. Etoundi Michel William (16-2, 12 KOs)
Flyweight, 4 rounds: Yadriel Caban (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Jeremis Hernandez-Torres (2-2, 0 KOs)
Junior lightweight, 6 rounds: Carlos De Leon Castro (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Diuhl Olguin (17-47-7, 10 KOs)
Junior bantamweight, 6 rounds: Juanmita Lopez De Jesus (4-0, 2 KOs) vs. Conner Goade (8-4-2, 7 KOs)

Date: Saturday January 31, 2026
Location: Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot - San Juan, Puerto Rico
TV/Stream: Top Rank FAST Classics

Start Times
TBD: 6 pm ET | 3 pm PT | 11 pm GMT (Main Card)

Promoted by: Top Rank Inc.

Fight Card

Unified WBO & WBA Super Welterweight Championship
Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou

10 Round Welterweight Bout
Rohan Polanco vs. Christian Gomez

10 Round Junior Middleweight Bout
Giovani Santillan vs. Courtney Pennington

10 Round Middleweight Bout
Euri Cedeno vs. Etoundi Michel William

6 Round Super Flyweight Bout
Juanmita Lopez De Jesus vs. Conner Russell Goade

6 Round Super featherweight Bout
Carlos Jamil De Leon Castro vs. Diuhl Olguin

4 Round Super flyweight Bout
Yadriel Caban Gerena vs. Jeremis Hernandez-Torres