Alexandre Gaumont makes his homecoming main event debut on Thursday, October 17 against Andres Viera at Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The contest headlines the event billed as “The Passing of the Torch”. The fight card airs live on ESPN+.
Unbeaten Gaumont (11-0, 7 KOs) was originally scheduled to face Cristian Rodrigo Zarate (10-4, 3 KOs) of Argentina. On Tuesday, Viera (12-8, 9 KOs) was confirmed as his new opponent in an eight-round bout at middleweight. The 40-year-old native of Mercedes, Uruguay stopped Roberto Javier Diaz in the third round in August and rebounded from four defeats in a row.
“It’s been a dream of mine to headline at home, so I want to thank Camille Estephan and the entire Eye of the Tiger team for making this happen,” Alexandre Gaumont said at the pre-fight press conference. “I also want to thank everyone who will be there for me on Thursday.”
“Since my last fight, I’ve hired a nutritionist and a physical trainer to be in the best shape of my life. I’ve worked hard, and everything is in place to put on a great show for you.”
The co-main event pits Canada-based Arthur Biyarslanov (16-0, 14 KOs) against Jonathan Jose Eniz (35-20-1, 16 KOs) of Argentina. The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds with Biyarslanov’s NABF super lightweight title on the line.
In addition to the main event, a previously finalized undercard has also suffered a number of changes.
Pascal Villeneuve (4-2-1, 2 KOs) of Canada now takes on Uruguay’s Rafael Sosa Pintos (63-19, 25 KOs) in a four-round bout at cruiserweight. The 44-year-old, who lost his previous fight last October via first-round TKO against Shakeel Phinn, replaced Roberto Dionicio Moreno (13-14-1, 2 KOs) of Argentina.
As well, French southpaw Moreno Fendero (7-0, 5 KOs) now meets Pavel Albrecht (19-26, 14 KOs). The 32-year-old is fresh off the win via first-round TKO against Robert Horvath in September. The Czech middleweight replaced Edison Demaj (13-3-1, 7 KOs) of Germany in a six-round matchup.
Plus, a heavyweight bout between Canada’s former world champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (7-2, 2 KOs) and Mexico’s Angelica Lopez Flores (14-2-1, 8 KOs) is no longer featured on the card.