Seniesa Estrada retained the WBA Minimumweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jazmin Gala Villarino.
Estrada., 103.8 lbs of East Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 23-0. Villarino, 105 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 6-2-1.
Janibek Alimkhanuly defended the WBO Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Denzel Bentley at The Palms Hotel Casino on Las Vegas.
Alimkhanuly landed 189 of 535 punches. Bentley was 157 of 615.
Alimkhanuly, 159.6 lbs of Zhilandy. KAZ won by scores of 118-110 and 116-112 twice and is now 13-0. Bentley, 159 lbs of London is 15-2-1.
Seniesa Estrada defended the WBA Minimumweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jazmin Gala Villarino.
Estrada, 103.3 lbs of East Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 23-0. Villarino, 105 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 6-2-2.
Emiliano Fernando Vargas stopped Julio Cesar Martinez in round two of their four-round lightweight bout.
In round two, Vargas dropped Martinez with a short but powerful left hook to the chin the folded Martinez under the bottom rope and the fight was stopped at 47 seconds.
Vargas, 133.8 lbs of Las Vegas is 2-0 with two knockouts. Martinez, 134 lbs of South Bend, IN is 1-1.
Javier Martinez remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Marco Antonio Delgado in a super middleweight bout.
Martnez, 162.6 lbs of Milwaukee, WI won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice and is now 8-0. Delgado, 162.6 lbs of Turlock, CA is 7-5.
Floyd Diaz remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Edgar Joe Cortes in a six-round junior featherweight bout,
In round four, Diaz landed a left to the top of the head that was followed by a right hook to the jaw that sent Cortes down. Cortes got to his feet, but the fight was stopped at 1:14.
Diaz, 121.4 lbs of Las Vegas is 8-0 with three knockouts. Cortes, 122.2 lbs of Vineland, NJ is 9-7-1.
Charlie Sheehy obliterated Markus Bowes in the opening round of their four-round lightweight bout.
In round one, Sheehy rocked Bowes several times with hard right hands and then dropped him with the same punch. Sheehy ended things with a vicious combination that forced a referee stoppage at 1:37.
Sheehy, 135 lbs of Brisbane, CA is 5-0 with four knockouts. Bowes, 135.6 lbs of Rosboro, NC is 2-1.
Karlos Balderas stopped Esteban Sanchez in the eighth and final round of their lightweight bout.
In round one, Balderas landed a left hook that set off a flurry of punches that put Sanchez on the canvas.
In round four, Sanchez began to bleed from his nose.
In round eight, Sanchez was still taking shots and the fight was stopped at 1:02.
Balderas, 135.4 lbs of Santa Maria, CA is 14-1 with 12 knockouts. Sanchez, 135.2 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 18-3.
Antonio Mireles remained perfect with a first round stoppage of Eric Perry in a six-round heavyweight bout.
In round one, Mireles landed a heavy combination that put Perry down face first and he was not able to beat the 10-count at 2:26.
Mireles, 269.6 lbs of Des Moines, IA is 6-0 with six knockouts. Perry, 279.8 lbs of Toccoa, GA is 5-7-1.
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 7, 2022) — After nearly 11 months out of the ring, Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada is ready to make up for lost time. Estrada, who signed a long-term promotional pact with Top Rank earlier this year, will defend her WBA minimumweight world title Saturday against Jazmin Gala Villarino at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Estrada-Villarino will serve as the co-feature to the WBO middleweight world title fight between reigning champion Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and British challenger Denzel Bentley. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, tickets starting at $25 are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
Alimkhanuly-Bentley, Estrada-Villarino, and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Estrada (22-0, 9 KOs), a two-weight world champion from East Lost Angeles, is ranked No. 7 on the ESPN.com pound-for-pound list. Before her recent layoff, Estrada had a banner 2021, going 3-0 while winning a pair of world titles. Last December, she knocked down the previously unbeaten Maria Micheo Santizo twice en route to a fourth-round stoppage.
As fight week kicks off, this is what “Super Bad” had to say from her Los Angeles training camp:
“Jazmin is a tough opponent, and I know any fight can be dangerous. She’s fighting in America for the first time and is coming in as the underdog. This is her opportunity to become a champion, and I am not taking her lightly. I always prepare to be the best ‘Super Bad’ I can be.”
“This is my first fight with Top Rank, and it’s the perfect time in women’s boxing to be with Top Rank and to fight on the ESPN platform. I’ve had a nearly 11-month layoff, and I felt like I was missing out on all the incredible things happening in the sport. I want to be the best and stay active. Now I’m happy to be back and hopefully go for those big unification fights that I’ve wanted and ultimately become an undisputed champion.”
“Growing up, I didn’t have a role model to look up to in women’s boxing. Being in a position where I can inspire younger women is great. It makes all of my struggles worth it. That’s what I do it for, to inspire the next generation of women who want to accomplish great things.”
“I believe I am the best fighter at minimumweight, light flyweight, and flyweight. My goal is to conquer all three divisions. I want to win all the belts at 105, then go to 108 and 112.”
# # #
About ESPN+
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LAS VEGAS (Oct. 3, 2022) — Boxing’s most avoided world champion finally has a dance partner.
WBO middleweight world champion Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly, a southpaw power puncher from Kazakhstan, will make the first defense of his title against two-time British champion Denzel Bentley on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
In the co-feature, undefeated pound-for-pound queen Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada will defend her WBA minimumweight world title against Jazmin Gala Villarino.
Janibek-Bentley, Estrada-Villarino, and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, tickets starting at $25 go on sale Friday, Oct 7 at 12 p.m. PT and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
“Janibek is the top middleweight in the world, and this fight will be the start of a long and accomplished championship reign,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I am thrilled to see Seniesa Estrada make her Top Rank debut. She is an exceptionally talented fighter and is poised to be a superstar in the sport for years to come.”
“Denzel Bentley is backing himself and completely believes he has got what it takes to win the WBO world middleweight championship from a formidable champion in Janibek Alimkhanuly,” said Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren. “It is a golden opportunity for Denzel to step up from being a respected British champion to starring on the world stage in Las Vegas.”
Janibek (12-0, 8 KOs), a 2016 Olympian from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, took the express route to a world title. He fought in his first scheduled 10-rounder in his sixth pro fight, winning a pair of regional titles in a dominant showing over Cristian Olivas. Janibek’s last four bouts have been in Las Vegas, a quartet of knockouts that propelled him to the top of the middleweight heap. In 2021, he knocked out former world champions Rob Brant and Hassan N’Dam to earn a shot at the WBO interim middleweight title. Janibek knocked out Danny Dignum in two devastating rounds to earn a shot at then-champion Demetrius Andrade. Janibek was elevated to world champion after Andrade elected to move up in weight rather than defend his middleweight title.
“I give Denzel Bentley credit for accepting the challenge when so many fighters ran the other way,” Janibek said. “It is a great honor to defend my world title in Las Vegas at The Palms, and I will once again show the world what ‘Qazaq Style’ is about.”
Bentley (17-1-1, 14 KOs) makes his American debut following a recent run that saw him become king of the British middleweights for a second time. Last April, he suffered a stoppage loss to Felix Cash in a “Bubble” setting in front of limited spectators. Following a comeback victory over Sam Evans, he regained the British middleweight title with a 12-round split decision over the previously unbeaten Linus Udofia. “The Battersea Bomber” earned the shot at Janibek with a fourth-round TKO over Marcus Morrison last month. Bentley rebounded from being stunned in the opening round to bust up Morrison’s nose and open a cut over his right eye, forcing a corner stoppage. After perhaps his most dramatic victory, Bentley readies for the Las Vegas main event stage.
“It will be a good and exciting fight, and I think it is a fight I can win,” Bentley said. “So why not go out there and enjoy the theatrics of Las Vegas and come back with a world title? I genuinely believe I can beat him, and he is beatable. Everybody says he is scary, but I don’t see it. Maybe I am missing something. We will find out when we get in the ring.”
Estrada (22-0, 9 KOs), the latest fighting sensation from East Los Angeles, hopes to flash the two-handed power that has made her one of the sport’s must-see action stars. A two-weight world champion who has also won an interim world title at flyweight, Estrada returns from a nearly 11-month layoff to defend her minimumweight title for a second time. She won that title last March with one-sided decision over Anabel Ortiz, then captured the WBO light flyweight title less than four months later with a decision over Japan’s Tenaki Tsunami. Estrada moved back down to minimumweight last December and defended her title with a fourth-round stoppage over Maria Micheo Santizo. A women’s boxing pioneer who has been grinding in Southern California gyms since taking up the sport more than two decades ago, Estrada is set to resume her career with the backing of Top Rank and “The Worldwide Leader in Sports.”
Estrada said, “This is an exciting time for women’s boxing, and I am thrilled to be making my Top Rank on ESPN debut in Las Vegas against a worthy challenger in Villarino. I am entering the prime of my career and looking forward to unifying the championships in three weight classes. The newest chapter in my career begins November 12, and I can’t wait to get in the ring.”
Villarino (6-1-2, 1 KO) enters her first world title opportunity having not tasted defeat since her 2016 pro debut. Last November, she traveled to Colombia and knocked out Venezuelan former world title challenger Yenifer Leon via seventh-round TKO. Leon also was stopped in five rounds by Estrada back in 2019. Villarino followed up the Leon triumph in March with a unanimous decision over Judith Vivanco in Vivanco’s home country of Mexico. She now enters enemy territory for a third straight fight in hopes of riding her road warrior mentality to a world title.
“This is the opportunity I have been waiting for, to fight for a world title against a fellow warrior like Seniesa Estrada,” Villarino said. “I am thankful to Top Rank for the opportunity, and I am coming to Las Vegas to shock the boxing world. On November 12, a new champion will be crowned.”
In undercard action, undefeated lightweight prospect Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (15-0, 12 KOs) will fight in an eight-rounder. Muratalla is coming off a one-sided decision over Jair Valtierra.
Antonio “El Gigante” Mireles (5-0, 5 KOs), a 6’9 heavyweight, will fight in his first scheduled six-rounder. Mireles has three consecutive second-round knockouts after scoring a pair of first-round stoppages to start his career.
Junior welterweight Lindolfo Delgado (16-0, 13 KOs), who is coming off an epic decision victory over the previously undefeated Omar Aguilar in August, hopes to inch closer to title contention in an eight-rounder.
2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas (13-1, 11 KOs) looks to make it five wins in a row in an eight-round lightweight bout.
Former U.S. amateur superstar Javier “Milwaukee Made” Martinez (7-0, 2 KOs) returns in a six-rounder at super middleweight.
Lightweight Charlie Sheehy (4-0, 3 KOs), a fearsome puncher from the Bay Area, makes his fourth appearance of 2022 in a four-rounder.
About Palms Casino Resort
Palms Casino Resort is making history as the first resort in Las Vegas fully owned and operated by a Native American Tribe. Palms Casino Resort features two distinct towers with 766 hotel rooms and suites, a diverse mix of bars, restaurants, live entertainment venues and immersive lifestyle experiences across a 95,000-square-foot reimagined casino. The resort also includes over 190,000 square feet of meeting, convention and event space; the Pearl, a 2,500-seat theater; an expansive pool and spa area; wedding chapel; the Brenden Theatres 14-screen cinema and nearly 600 units at Palms Place condominiums.
Palms is located just west of the center of the Las Vegas Strip off I-15 on Flamingo Road. Palms Casino Resort is owned by The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority (“SMGHA”) an affiliate of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. For more information visit http://www.palms.com/ or the Palms Press Room. Follow Palms on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.8 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).