A trio of world title fights just got dropped on the Oct. 31 Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli “Mexico vs. The World” card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, stacking it way up. But hold up, there’s a serious question mark already hanging over one of the biggest matchups: WBA super middleweight champ Jaime Munguía’s defense against unbeaten Russian Nikita Zon might not even get sanctioned.
Munguía’s WBA Belt Already on Shaky Ground?
Talk about drama already brewing for an undercard. Jaime Munguía, who sits at 46-2 with 35 KOs, is set to put his WBA super middleweight title on the line. He only grabbed that belt back in May with a dominant unanimous decision over Armando Resendiz. The problem? The WBA apparently ordered him to defend against Bektemir Melikuziev next. So yeah, it’s totally unclear if they’ll actually sanction this Oct. 31 fight with Zon while that mandatory commitment is still out there. Munguía’s opponent, Nikita Zon, comes in hot with a 12-0-1 record and 10 KOs. He was last seen in May, stopping Nahuel Gonzalo Garcia in five rounds. He’s unbeaten, no doubt, but taking on a world champ like Munguía is a massive leap for him, especially since he hasn’t faced a recognized opponent yet. The tension around that WBA decision alone is gonna be wild.
Two More Title Fights Promise Fireworks
But don’t sleep on the other championship clashes, either! We’ve got Mexico’s Lindolfo Delgado (24-0, 16 KOs) squaring off against Russian-born Canadian Arthur Biyarslanov (21-0, 17 KOs) for the vacant IBF super lightweight championship. Delgado’s gotta shake off some rust, coming off an 11-month layoff since he edged Gabriel Valenzuela in an IBF title eliminator. Biyarslanov, though, is red hot, fresh off beating Sergey Lipinets last October and already stopping Jimerr Espinosa in seven rounds this year. Then, Mexico’s Rafael Espinoza (28-0, 24 KOs) makes his fifth defense of the WBO featherweight crown against Venezuela’s Lorenzo Parra (24-1-1, 18 KOs). Espinoza snatched that title from Robeisy Ramirez by majority decision in December 2023 and has literally stopped all four of his title defense opponents since. Parra’s coming in with something to prove, bouncing back from a majority draw with Omar Trinidad by stopping Elijah Pierce in February. This dude can hit.
The Undercard Is Absolutely Stacked
Beyond the championship bouts, this card is absolutely stacked with hungry fighters. WBO No. 1-ranked contender David Picasso (33-1-1, 18 KOs) is looking to grab his second win in a row after getting outpointed by Naoya Inoue last December when he faces Carl Jammes Martin (28-0, 21 KOs). Plus, Japan’s Reito Tsutsumi (5-0, 4 KOs) takes on Mexico’s Raymundo Rojas Garcia (16-2, 11 KOs) in super featherweight action, and Saudi Arabia’s Sultan Almohammed (5-0, 4 KOs) goes up against Erick Jahir Villegas (5-2-3, 1 KO). Undefeated guys like Carlos Emiliano Rojo Vazquez (21-0, 8 KOs), Brayan Leon Salgado (12-0, 9 KOs), and Bek Nurmaganbet (16-0, 14 KOs) are all set to throw down, too. Mark your calendars for Oct. 31, because Riyadh is about to get LOUD with these championships, unbeaten streaks, and that looming WBA decision on the line!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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