Former lightweight world titlist Richard Commey returns to face Jackson Marinez in the main event of a Top Rank card in Las Vegas (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET, undercard on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET). It is Commey’s first fight since losing the IBF world title by second-round TKO against Teofimo Lopez in December 2019. Commey (29-3, 26 KOs) won that title in February 2019 in a second-round TKO of Isa Chaniev. He defended the belt four months later with a TKO victory over Raymundo Beltran in Round 8, before losing to Lopez.
“It’s been over a year since I fought,” Commey said during a news conference on Thursday. “I lost my [title] to Teofimo. It was a little bit hard for me to take it…. It’s done, and I learned what I had to learn from it. I learned my lesson. It’s redemption time for Commey because I still got a lot in there, and I want to be a two-time world champion.”
Marinez (19-1, 7 KOs) had won 19 consecutive fights before losing a controversial decision to Rolando Romero in August, challenging for the WBA interim lightweight title.
“Regarding the experience of fighting Romero, the whole world saw what happened. Right now, I see myself as a king without a crown, and even though I lost in controversial fashion, it opened up bigger opportunities for me. I’m taking full advantage of them.”
In another entertaining matchup, heavyweight sensation Jared Anderson (7-0, 7 KOs) faces Kingsley Ibeh (5-1-1, 4 KOs) in a six-round battle. Anderson and Ibeh were two of the busier fighters in 2020, fighting five times and four times, respectively.
Also on the main card, Adam Lopez (14-2, 6 KOs), who gave Oscar Valdez a tough fight in 2019, faces Jason Sanchez (15-2, 8 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout.
Still to come:
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Richard Commey vs. Jackson Marinez, 10 rounds, lightweights
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Adam Lopez vs. Jason Sanchez, 10 rounds, featherweights
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Jared Anderson vs. Kingsley Ibeh, 6 rounds, heavyweights
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Eric Puente vs. Sergio Vega, 4 rounds, lightweights
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Eric Rodriguez vs. Jahi Tucker, 4 rounds, welterweights
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Bryant Costello vs. Troy Isley, 4 rounds, middleweights
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Floyd Diaz vs. Fernando Macias, 4 rounds, bantamweights