Undefeated super lightweight sensation Omar “El Relampago” Juarez will look to continue his ascent up the 140-pound rankings when he takes on Argentina’s Elias “El Macho” Araujo in a 10-round showdown that serves as the FOX PBC Fight Night co-main event and on FOX Deportes this Saturday, April 17 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.
The 21-year-old Juarez (10-0, 5 KOs) will return to action after a dominant 2020 that saw him add four victories to his resume. This included fighting to eight rounds for the first time, which he did twice in winning unanimous decisions over Dakota Linger and Willie Shaw.
The Brownsville, Texas native most recently dropped Raul Chirino three times in December on his way to a first round knockout victory. His 2021 will kick off with him facing Araujo (21-2, 8 KOs), an Argentine fighter who on paper is the stiffest test of Juarez’s career.
Here is what Juarez had to say about facing that test, training camp and more:
On his recent training camp:
“It was another brutal camp in San Antonio with coach Rick Nunez. We got a lot of hard rounds in with some very tough sparring partners. I’ve been working on throwing more power shots while sustaining good defense. I’ve made all the sacrifices necessary to be in the best shape of my life and I’ll be at my best come this Saturday.”
On his upcoming fight with Elias Araujo:
“Araujo has a good record with a lot of experience, and he has double the number of fights that I’ve had. Since Araujo has only fought once in the U.S., I know he’s coming to fight, so I’m expecting to go to war. This will be my toughest fight so far in my career, and I’m going to be ready for anything he brings to the ring.”
On making his 2021 debut on FOX:
“I’m so grateful to be fighting once again FOX PBC Fight Night. It’s the big stage that gets me excited and I want nothing more than to put on a great performance for the fans. It doesn’t get bigger than FOX, so believe me when I say I’m ready to let my hands go.”
On what fans can expect to see in this fight:
“I’m coming to make a statement in this fight. Araujo has never been stopped, so to end this fight early will be something special that no one has ever done. Fans can expect to see me throw a lot of power shots with bad intentions.”