SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA — Promoter Nasser Niavaroni brings professional boxing and mixed martial arts back to the Red Lion Hotel for the first time in over a year-and-a-half tonight. In the featured attraction, heavyweights Yohan Banks and Hector Martinez will look to pick up where they left off in March of last year as they engage in a six-round rematch. Also, rising local lightweight prospect Maximilliano Becerra will take on unknown Christian Gonzalez in the co-feature. Fighters weighed in Thursday afternoon at JB’s Lounge inside the hotel.
Banks (4-4-3, 2 KOs) of Redwood City, California met Martinez (5-5, 4 KOs) of Broderick, California at the Feather Falls Casino & Lodge in Oroville, California in a short-notice match-up just over a year ago. That night, Martinez took a little while to warm up and was dropped in the second round. Once Martinez regrouped, the fight quickly turned into a heavyweight shootout. As the fight progressed, it was Martinez that was getting the better of the exchanges. However the point Martinez lost for the knockdown proved to be the difference in the scoring, as Banks won over two of the judges, 38-37.
Since their initial meeting, Banks has gone 1-1, getting stopped by unbeaten Adam Kownacki and upsetting overhyped Quadtrine Hill via fourth-round knockout. Martinez has fought just once since the Banks loss, dropping another split decision heartbreaker to Lamont Williams this past January. Banks weighed in at 277 ½-pounds Thursday. Martinez, who launched into a Muhammad Ali-inspired rant while still on the scale, weighed in at 225.
Becerra (4-0-1, 2 KOs) of Vacaville, California returns to the site of his first three pro bouts against the unknown Gonzalez (2-0, 1 KO) of Bakersfield, California by way of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico in the four-round co-feature. Becerra, who has grown into a solid ticket seller in the area, pleased his local following with a dominant four-round unanimous decision over Omar Sanchez at the Fairfield Sports Center in nearby Fairfield, California this past January. Gonzalez, who has been out of the ring since 2009, weighed in at 136-pounds, as did Becerra.
The fighter most responsible for the popularity of the Badge VS. Badge series of events in Northern California, Larry Ward of Sacramento, will make his pro debut against former amateur standout Joshua Landers of the Bronx, New York. Landers, who currently trains out of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, is also making his professional debut. Ward, who is known for his colorful personality, was unusually subdued at the weigh-in while scaling 223-pounds. Landers, a former novice division New York Golden Gloves champion, weighed in at 230-pounds.
Perhaps looking for a fresh start, Andrey Kim (2-3) of Sacramento fights for the first time almost two-and-a-half years in a four-round lightweight bout against Matt Mahler (0-2) of Stockton, California. Mahler himself has been out of action since a January 2009 knockout suffered at the hands of the aforementioned Maximilliano Becerra. Kim’s last bout ended via second-round stoppage to prospect Gabriel Tolmajyan in December of 2008. Kim and Mahler both weighed-in at 137-pounds Thursday.
Juan Luna of Sacramento will make his professional debut against Lee Reyes of San Jose, California in a four-round middleweight fight. Reyes, the son of well known martial artist Ernie Reyes Sr, is also making his professional boxing debut. Luna weighed in at 159-pounds. Reyes, who trains out of the Wild Card, originally came in one pound over at 161, but made 160-pounds after taking the scale in the nude.
In another pairing of pro debutants, Brett De La Torre of Vacaville will take on Sacramento’s Will Walters in a four-round light welterweight fight. The baby-faced De La Torre, who trains alongside Maximilliano Becerra at the Vacaville PAL, weighed in at 142 ½-pounds. Walters, who impressed ringside observers during the California Golden Gloves last year, also weighed in at 142 ½-pounds.
Mixed Martial Arts
Derrick Burnsed (6-1, 2 KOs, 4 Submissions) of Citrus Heights, California will take on Moses Baca (3-4) of Pleasant Hill, California in a three-round welterweight fight. Burnsed, who trains alongside Urijah Faber in Sacramento, weighed in at 154-pounds. Baca, who trains out of the Cesar Gracie Sports Center in Pleasant Hill, had trouble finding the hotel and weighed in at a later time.
Former California Golden Gloves Champion boxer Michael Ortega (1-1, 1 KO) had hoped to continue his MMA career in a scheduled three-round welterweight bout against Chris Quitiquit (4-0, 1 KO, 1 Submission). However their fight was a late scratch. Ortega fights for Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male and Quitiquit is part of the Nick Diaz camp. Reportedly the two camps have a gentlemen’s agreement to not match-up their fighters.
Amateur Boxing
Six amateur boxing exhibitions will open up the card. Drew Heneffe, who fights out of Overcome Training in Cameron Park, California, will take on Arnulfo Rizo out of the Cal Street Fight Club in Stockton, California in three-round heavyweight bout. Heneffe weighed in at 199-pounds, while Rizo scaled 192.
Joshua Green, fighting out of California Total Fitness in Manteca, California, will take on Koran Richardson of the Cal Street Fight Club in a three-round light heavyweight fight. Green weighed in at 161 ½-pounds. Richardson weighed in at 172 ½-pounds, which infuriated Green’s trainer and former pro heavyweight Gilbert Martinez. However, the weight difference is within the allowance for an amateur exhibition, and the fight will go on as scheduled.
Ukrainian import Aleksander Muza will take on Jesus Sandoval of the Cal Street Fight Club in a three-round bantamweight fight. Muza, who trains out of fight promoter Nasser Niavaroni’s gym, Niavaroni Kickboxing in Roseville, California, weighed in at 116-pounds. Sandoval, yet another fighter out of the Cal Street Fight Club in Stockton, weighed in at 123-pounds.
Jared Moore of Anaheim, California will take on James Davis out of Smash Time Boxing in Sacramento in a three-round light heavyweight fight. Moore weighed in at 175-pounds, while Davis came in at 178.
Fighters for the last amateur exhibition, Jason Williams and Albert Avina, will weigh in tomorrow.
Tickets for the event, promoted by Uppercut Promotions, are available by calling the Red Lion Hotel at 916-782-4757.
Quick Weigh-in Results:
Heavyweights, 6 Rounds
Banks 277 ½
Martinez 225
Lightweights, 4 Rounds
Becerra 136
Gonzalez 136
Heavyweights, 4 Rounds
Ward 223
Landers 230
Lightweights, 4 Rounds
Kim 137
Mahler 137
Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Luna 159
Reyes 160
Welterweights, 4 Rounds
Walters 142 ½
De La Torre 142 ½
Mixed Martial Arts Weigh-in Result:
Welterweights, 3 Rounds
Burnsed 154
Baca*
Amateur Boxing Exhibition Weigh-in Results:
Heavyweights, 3 Rounds
Heneffe 199
Rizo 192
Light Heavyweights, 3 Rounds
Green 161 ½
Richardson 172 ½
Bantamweights, 3 Rounds
Muza 116
Sandoval 123
Light Heavyweights, 3 Rounds
Moore 175
Davis 178
*weighed in late Thursday
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.
