Tonight on ESPN and streaming live on ESPN+, Miguel Berchelt defends his WBC junior lightweight world title against former featherweight titlist Oscar Valdez in the Top Rank Boxing main event.
Coverage will start at 6:30 pm ET for the undercard prelim bouts on ESPN+, and then we’ll have live, round-by-round updates for the two main fights on the show, which start at 10 pm ET and will also air on ESPN.
Berchelt, 29, is a solid but not overwhelming favorite this evening, and Valdez, 30, is a hard-charging warrior at his best, someone who is capable of bringing the sort of heat that Berchelt hasn’t faced in quite a while, probably since winning the title from Francisco Vargas in 2017.
There are questions on both sides here, though frankly mostly on Valdez, which is why he’s the underdog. But this is a great fight on paper; even if you think there’s a clear favorite, the chances for this to be a serious war are far, far higher than the average fight.
The co-feature will see junior lightweight prospect Gabriel Flores Jr take a step up in competition against Jayson Velez, a durable and tough veteran.
How to Watch Berchelt vs Valdez
Date: Saturday, Feb. 20 | Start Time: 6:30 pm ET (Undercard) / 10:00 pm ET (Main)
Location: MGM Grand – Las Vegas, NV
TV: ESPN | Streaming: ESPN+
Online Coverage: BadLeftHook.com
On the prelims portion, middleweight “contender” Esquiva Falcao will face former title challenger Artur Akavov, and we’ll also see prospects Elvis Rodriguez, Xander Zayas, Sonny Conto, and Javier Martinez in action.
Prelims (ESPN+, 6:30 pm ET)
- Esquiva Falcao (27-0, 19 KO) vs Artur Akavov (20-3, 9 KO), middleweights, 10 rounds
- Elvis Rodriguez (10-0-1, 10 KO) vs Luis Alberto Veron (18-2-2, 9 KO), junior welterweights, 8 rounds
- Xander Zayas (6-0, 5 KO) vs James Martin (6-1, 0 KO), welterweights, 6 rounds
- Sonny Conto (6-0, 5 KO) vs Waldo Cortes (6-3, 3 KO), heavyweights, 4 rounds
- Omar Rosario (2-0, 0 KO) vs Uriel Villanueva (1-0, 0 KO), welterweights, 4 rounds
- Javier Martinez (2-0, 0 KO) vs Billy Wagner (3-1, 1 KO), middleweights, 4 rounds
Main Card (ESPN+ and ESPN, 10:00 pm ET)
- Miguel Berchelt (37-1, 33 KO) vs Oscar Valdez (28-0, 22 KO), junior lightweights, 12 rounds, for Berchelt’s WBC title
- Gabriel Flores Jr (19-0, 6 KO) vs Jayson Velez (29-7-1, 21 KO), junior lightweights, 10 rounds