Liam Wilson goes up against Oscar Valdez live from Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Friday, March 29. The Australian former title challenger and Mexico’s two-division world champion square off in the 12-round main event at super featherweight.
27-year-old Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) fought Emanuel Navarrete last February, but suffered the defeat via ninth-round TKO, after he had knocked the world champion down in the fourth round. The Redcliffe, Queensland native got back in the win column with two wins by unanimous decision against Jackson Jon England and Carlos Maria Alanis last December and August, respectively.
33-year-old Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) of Nogales, Sonora challenged Navarrete last August, but dropped a unanimous decision. The two-time Mexican Olympian is a former WBC junior bantamweight and WBO featherweight champion.
“I’ve had two fights since the Navarrete fight,” Liam Wilson said following his recent training session in Henderson, Nevada. “I feel much more prepared this time around. I’m going back to the same place. I’m much more familiar with the whole atmosphere there. I’m really looking forward to March 29.”
“I think he’s going to want to prove himself in this fight. He wants to show that he still has what it takes to be a world champion. So, while I’m not sure what to expect, I know he is well rounded. You don’t become a two-division world champion by being one-dimensional.”
“It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen with him. In the past, he’s shown that he likes to go in there and brawl. But he’s also been boxing and moving more in his last couple fights. So, I’m not too sure what to expect from him, but I’m ready for anything.”
“He has been in a lot of wars. I have that tendency as well. If a fight gets rough, I get dragged into it. So, I’m ready for anything. I’m going to use my abilities. I’m going to stick to my game plan. But I’m also ready for a war.”
In the co-feature, unified WBC and WBA minimumweight champion Seniesa Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles faces Nicaraguan-born Costa Rican unified WBO and IBF 105-pound champion Yokasta Valle (30-2, 9 KOs). The pair battles it out for the division’s first undisputed title with four major belts on the line.