That was quick.
Less than three weeks after edging out a final eliminator, David Jimenez has gotten the call to face WBA flyweight champion Artem Dalakian. The pair have the usual 30 days, starting yesterday, to come to terms and avoid a purse bid.
Costa Rica’s Jimenez (12-0, 9 KO) was the clear B-side when he signed to face Ricardo Sandoval on the July 16th Garcia vs Fortuna show, a 30-year-old with a simultaneously short and padded resume who’d gotten his shot by beating another fluffed-up unbeaten in Edwin Cano Hernandez. Sandoval, on the other hand, had won seven straight by knockout and was coming off an impressive stoppage of Carlos Buitrago.
Jimenez wound up battling his way to a razor-thin split decision, dropping Sandoval along the way.
Dalakian (21-0, 15 KO) has basically steered clear of the division’s other standouts during his 4.5-year reign, competing exclusively in his native Ukraine against low- to mid-level challengers. He’s still a damn good fighter, of course, but Jimenez looks to be his toughest out since beating Brian Viloria for the belt.