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Mike CoppingerESPN
Mikey Garcia, a four-division champion, has agreed to terms for a fight with Spain’s Sandor Martin on Oct. 16, possibly in Texas, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
The bout will be contested at a catchweight of 145 pounds, sources said.
Promoter Eddie Hearn was planning to stage the 115-pound championship trilogy fight between Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez on Oct. 16, but Gonzalez contracted COVID-19, sources said.
Estrada signed the contract, per sources, while Gonzalez’s promoter, Akihiko Honda, committed to the fight in writing. That fight could now land in November.
Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) last fought in February 2020, a decision win over Jessie Vargas at welterweight. Garcia is ESPN’s No. 10-ranked welterweight. The 33-year-old was in talks to fight former champion Regis Prograis in a highly anticipated matchup, but the bout proved to be too expensive for DAZN, sources said. Instead, Garcia and Prograis could meet each other next year after each takes a tune-up fight.
Martin (38-2, 13 KOs) will be making his U.S. debut. In his lone notable matchup, the 28-year-old dropped a decision to former title challenger Anthony Yigit.
Estrada (42-3, 28 KOs) scored a controversial decision over Gonzalez in March, the leading contender for fight-of-the-year honors. They combined for 2,529 punches, a CompuBox record at 115 pounds.
With the victory, the 31-year-old Mexican boxer grabbed a second junior bantamweight title and retained his No. 1 spot in ESPN’s junior bantamweight rankings (Gonzalez, a 34-year-old Nicaraguan, is No. 2). Estrada is also No. 10 in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings.
The rematch came more than eight years — and two weight classes — after their first fight. When they met in 2008, Gonzalez won a unanimous decision to retain his 108-pound championship in another fight.