What to Know
- In a Mexico vs Puerto Rico matchup guaranteed to please fight fans, Isaac Cruz and Nestor Bravo promise to put on a show on Saturday, Sept. 19 at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena.
- The full fight card airs on DAZN Boxing Fight Night with early undercard fights at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, and the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
- While Bravo is the underdog, he promises to mount a serious challenge.
Channeling the spirit of Mexican Independence Day, a boxing fiesta will take over Pechanga Arena in San Diego on Saturday night featuring one of Mexico’s most popular boxers.
Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz will take on a determined challenger in Nestor Bravo in the Premier Boxing Champions “DAZN Fight Night” main event. Cruz of Mexico City (28-3-2, 18 KOs) will defend his interim WBC World Super Lightweight title against Bravo of Arecibo, Puerto Rico (24-1, 17 KOs) in his first championship fight.
The winner of Saturday’s bout becomes the mandatory challenger for WBC World Super Lightweight champion Dalton Smith of England.
Before the bell undercard fights start at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, and the main card gets underway with four fights at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT The card airs on the DAZN Boxing worldwide.
All fighters on the main card made weight. If the weigh-in between Cruz and Bravo is a fraction as spicy as Saturday night’s fight, it’s going to be fun to watch.
The 28-year-old Cruz has a devoted fan base unlike almost any other in boxing. Followers love the determination his nickname represents and his devotion to giving them highly entertaining fights. Cruz says he hopes to see fans from both Mexico and the United States in the seats watching on Saturday.
When we asked what drives their loyalty, Cruz said he isn’t quite sure.
“I can’t put my finger on it, but what I can tell you is that I come here to do my job, and the fans give me their love, and I hope that that continues because that’s the way it’s always going to be. I’m always going to be out there for the fans,” said Cruz.
Training Change for Pitbull Cruz
Coming off his majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in January, Cruz made a training change ahead of Saturday’s fight with Bravo, working with Eddy Reynoso, longtime Hall of Fame trainer who works with former world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Reynoso recently opened his own gym in the Miramar area of San Diego near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Called the Escuela de Boxeo (School of Boxing), Reynoso expanded after sharing space with the House of Boxing in National City for many years.
Because of a scheduling conflict with Alvarez’s training camp for his October fight, Cruz will be cornered on Saturday by his uncle.
Nestor Bravo: By Any Means Necessary
While Cruz is the oddsmakers’ favorite as well as the fan favorite, his opponent Nestor Bravo does not plan to go home to Puerto Rico empty-handed. Speaking with Bravo and his team this week, the 32-year-old made a solid case for himself and his ambitions.
Bravo’s conviction helps him stay the course as a fighter who says he’s been on the brink of title opportunities, including signed contracts, only to have them fall out.
“I’m ready to do whatever it takes so that we hear ‘And the new’ on Saturday night. This is the opportunity I’ve worked my whole career for,” said Bravo.
“There are opportunities that come once in a lifetime. I’ve been fighting for this opportunity for a while,” he said, adding that he had been knocking on many doors before the call came to take on Cruz.
Cruz vs Bravo: The Gameplan
At 5-foot-9, Bravo stands five inches taller than Cruz at 5-foot-4. He plans to keep Pitbull “on a leash” by not letting himself be bullied by the aggressive Mexican, using his stiff jab backed up by a good left hook.
Bravo says he’s learned a great deal about handling Cruz by watching his loss to Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela in 2025 and from his stablemate Lamont Roach Jr., who fought Cruz to a draw earlier this year.
But Bravo also acknowledged both like to fight and said he will not be surprised if things get rough on Saturday.
“Whoever wants to see what really Nestor Bravo is all about, just come to the Pechanga Arena and sit in the front row and you’re going to see a great performance,” said Bravo.
Cruz said he is highly motivated to deliver just like his opponent. “Fighting during Mexican Independence Month means a lot to me and all of Mexico. That’s why it’s my duty to put on a show and fight with pride on Saturday night.
“Bravo is an all-out fighter, and Saturday night is going to be an all-out war where I expect nothing but fireworks for the fans,” said Cruz.
Everyone knows what Cruz is about. He is a volume-punching, offense-minded fighter. Cruz is blessed with a great engine and an excellent chin that allows him to come forward without hesitation. He swarms opponents, and if they aren’t ready for a brawl, or lack the tools to keep him at range, they are in for a rough night.
Bravo is in excellent condition and exudes confidence. But it’s a reality that he’s never faced anyone at Cruz’s level of experience. He can put up a fight, but he likely lacks the firepower to take on Cruz on his turf. If he can use his height and reach advantage and box, he’ll be better off.
Neither man has ever been knocked out. If both hang tough, fans could be treated to the kind of 12-round action fight fans dream about. We see Isaac Cruz having his hand raised in a competitive but clear decision win, with Bravo earning respect for his effort.
Undercard Highlights from San Diego
In the co-main event, undefeated super middleweight prospect Daniel “Iceman” Blancas of Milwaukee (15-0, 7 KOs) will face veteran contender Sergio Jimenez of Mexicali (17-1-1, 15 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round fight.
Paris 2024 Mexican Olympic Silver Medalist Marco Verde of Mazatlán (6-0, 3 KOs) takes on fellow unbeaten Guillermo Hernandez of Calgary, Alberta, Canada (7-0, 4 KOs) in a super middleweight bout scheduled for eight rounds.
Exciting Filipino prospect Eumir Marcial of Las Vegas (7-0, 4 KOs) will crash the fiesta, elevated from the early undercard to open the main card. He will challenge San Diego’s Omar Huerta (15-1, 13 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight matchup.
The original co-main event between WBC Interim Middleweight champion Jesus Ramos Jr. of Casa Grande, Arizona, and unbeaten challenger Meiirim Nursultanov of Kazakhstan was canceled. Ramos Jr. fell ill on Friday and was hospitalized in San Diego, no cause disclosed. Promoters attempted to find a replacement opponent but ultimately weren’t successful in getting a new matchup in time.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
