INDIO, CALIF. (April 9, 2019): Future Hall of Famer James “Lights Out” Toney will be the special VIP guest for the April 25 edition of Golden Boy DAZN Thursday Night Fights, which headlined by the 10-round rematch between super lightweight contender Yves Ulysse Jr. (17-1, 9 KOs) of Montreal, Canada and Steve Claggett (27-5-2, 17 KOs) of Calgary, Canada. The event will take place at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. Details for how to watch the fights will be announced shortly
Toney is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan who captured world titles in the middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight divisions. He also fought for a world title in the heavyweight division. Toney was known for his defensive style and his incredible hand speed. He also fought the likes of Iran “The Blade” Barkley, Roy Jones Jr., Montell “Ice” Griffin, Mike “Bodysnatcher” McCallum, Vassiliy “The Tiger” Jirov, Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield, John “The Quiet Man” Ruiz, and Hasim “The Roch” Rahman in a career that spanned nearly 30 years.Toney will be in attendance for this event to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.
In the co-main event, Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (18-1-1, 7 KOs) of Tierralta, Colombia, will defend his NABF Bantamweight Title against Joshua “The Professor” Franco (14-1-1, 7 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas in a 10-round rematch between two Golden Boy contenders.
Alexis “Lex” Rocha (12-0, 8 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. will defend his WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Title in a 10-round fight against Shoki Sakai (23-9-2, 13 KOs) of Amagasaki, Japan.
Marlen Esparza (5-0, 1 KOs) of Houston, Texas will return to the ring after almost a year of inactivity in an eight-round battle against Jhosep Vizcaino (8-8, 3 KOs) of Quito, Ecuador for the vacant NABO Flyweight Title.
Mike “Yes Indeed” Reed (23-2, 12 KOs), a southpaw contender of Washington, D.C. who has not been in the ring for a year, will make his comeback in an eight-round super lightweight bout.
Kevin Ventura (10-0, 8 KOs) of Omaha, Nebraska will face Josh Hernandez (8-2, 7 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois in a six-round lightweight fight.
Raul “Cougar” Curiel (5-0-3 KOs) of Tamaulipas, Mexico will fight in a six-round welterweight clash against Andrew Rodgers (4-6-1, 2 KOs) of Elkhart, Indiana.
Anthony Reyes (4-0, 3 KOs), the hard-hitting native of Coachella, Calif. will return in a four-round super bantamweight battle.
Anthony Garnica (1-0,1 KO) of Oakland, Calif. will participate in the second fight of his career in a four-round featherweight bout.
Opponents for Reed, Ventura, Garnica, and Reyes will be announce shortly.
Ulysse Jr. vs. Claggett II is a 10-round fight for the WBA Gold Super Lightweight Title presented by Golden Boy and Eye of the Tiger Management. The event is sponsored by Tecate,”THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING.” The fights will take place Thursday, April 25, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. Details for how to watch the fights will be announced shortly
Tickets for the event are on sale and start at $25. Tickets will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Media interested covering Ulysse Jr. vs. Claggett II must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are due Monday, April 22, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. PT. Click here to apply for a media credential. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval for a credential. You cannot transfer your credentials to someone else. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #UlysseClaggett2, #ThursdayNightFights and #TNF.
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