Cruiserweight Title Rematch Tops Weekend Boxing Schedule

Badou Jack is once again the WBC World Cruiserweight Champion after a two year absence. Photo: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry
Badou Jack won the WBC World Cruiserweight Champion after a two year absence in his first fight with Noel Mikhalian in May. Photo: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry

It’s a busy holiday season for everyone, including boxing fans. So we’ll get right to it and preview this weekend’s lineup of key fights you may want to carve out time to see, including a cruiserweight title rematch that could shake up the division. And if you sneak a peek on your phone during a holiday party that’s a little boring, we won’t tell or judge.

Cruiserweight Rematch Brings Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelian to Los Angeles

WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Badou Jack of Las Vegas (29-3-3, 17 KOs) gives former titleholder Noel Mikaelian of Armenia (27-3, 12 KOs) another shot after their first fight in May. At stake for the winner is a unification fight early in 2026 with cruiserweight killer Jai Opetaia of Australia.

The first fight flew under the radar on the May 2 card in Riyadh, headlined by the truly awful fight between Canelo Alvarez and William Scull. It was by far the best fight on the card, a close contest won by Jack on a narrow majority decision.

Mikaelian took the fight on two weeks’ notice and vows things will be different on Saturday in Los Angeles, where there is a significant Armenian population.

Noel Mikaelian made a good case for himself being robbed of a win on the cards in the first fight against Badou Jack. Graphic: PPV.com Cruiserweight
Noel Mikaelian made a good case for himself being robbed of a win on the cards in the first fight against Badou Jack. Graphic: PPV.com

“It’s a great energy, and I’m looking forward to Saturday. I need to correct the decision that was made last May. This time, I am much more prepared. They changed the last fight to five in the morning. This time, everything is done professionally. Championing Mental Health did a great job,” said Mikaelian.

Jack, a three-division world champion (including super middleweight and light heavyweight), is flourishing at age 42, long after most people thought he would retire, and has no plans to ease up.  “I work hard, and this is what happens. I don’t have to cut that much weight anymore. The plan was to move up to cruiserweight a long time ago, but everything happens for a reason,” vowing he won’t leave it to the judges on Saturday.

Also on the card is another rematch between WBC International Light Flyweight Championship between Gloria Munguilla of Los Angeles (8-2) and Coachella Valley rival Brook Sibrian (8-2, 4 KOs). Munguilla won a unanimous decision victory in the first fight.

San Diego-based cousins and promising prospects Jonny Mansour (5-0, 2 KOs) and Julius Ballo (1-0) fight on the same card for the first time as pros. Mansour faces Marc Antonio Juarez Rodriguez of Mexico (12-9-3, 5 KOs), and Ballo takes on Kevin Walker of Cleveland (2-3-1). Both aspire to become the first boxing champions of Chaldean heritage.

The Championing Mental Health 2 card, promoted by Bash Boxing, is available as a $29.95 PPV on PPV.com and other outlets including Amazon Prime Video, TrillerTV+, and Fubo, starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Diego Pacheco Intends to Impress Saturday

The Matchroom Boxing card at the Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California on Saturday has gotten little attention, and that’s a shame if you’re a fan of super middleweight talent Diego Pacheco.  Pacheco (24-0, 18 KOs) takes on Kevin Lele Sadjo of Cameroon (26-0, 23 KOs) in a fight Pacheco not only needs to win but win in style.

Pacheco has eight inches in height and 11 inches of reach advantage over Sadjo, but he’s also a man who likes to fight on the inside.

He may have his hands full with Sadjo, who hasn’t faced world beaters but has stopped all but three opponents and dominated those three on the scorecards. African fighters are known for their grit. Sometimes you see a star making performance. Sadjo has everything to gain, including a title opportunity with the WBC Super Middleweight belt now vacated by Terence Crawford.

It was a long stare down at Friday’s weigh-in, with the height advantage significant. “This is the DP show, and we all know how the DP show ends. Good luck to him,” said Pacheco. “My whole life, I grew up fighting guys like him; it’s nothing new to me.”

In the co-main event, Gabe Flores Jr of Stockton (27-2, 8 KOs) takes on Joe Cordina of Cardiff, Wales (18-1, 9 KOs) in a 12-round WBO International Lightweight fight that is a must-win for both men. On the line is a potential title fight with WBO champion Abdullah Mason on a Saudi card in 2026.

Gabe Flores and Joe Cordina got into it at the weigh-in Friday. Photo: Cris Esqueda, Matchroom Cruiserweight
Gabe Flores and Joe Cordina got into it at the weigh-in Friday. Photo: Cris Esqueda, Matchroom

Equally motivating are the consequences of a loss, which puts that man far behind in the pecking order in the competitive lightweight division, with limited opportunities to continue at the top level. The stakes were obvious at the weigh-in, with both fighters exchanging words on stage.

Cordina, age 34, has struggled since his upset loss to Anthony Cacace in May 2024, and he needs to prove he’s still a viable title competitor.

Flores, age 25, hasn’t lost since 2022 to Giovanni Cabrera, and prior to that to Luis Alberto Lopez in 2021. But his performances have stalled, and he needs to show whether he’s got the goods to continue working toward top opposition. Cordina should provide that test. At the weigh-in, Flores said he’d learned his lessons from those losses. “I was a young kid when that happened … now I’m ready.”

Super lightweight prospect Ernesto ‘Tito’ Mercado promises to put on a clinic on Saturday night against Antonio Moran. Mercado of Pomona, California (17-0, 16 KOs) takes on Moran of Mexico (31-7-1, 21 KOs) for the WBO International title, and hopes a victory will see him move into the top ten rankings.

Also on the card are former super flyweight champion Skye Nicolson, and British cruiserweight Chevon “C4” Clarke.

Murat Gassiev Stops Kubrat Pulev Cold in Six Rounds

In the main event of a fight card on Friday in Dubai, Murat Gassiev leveled veteran Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria with a precise left hook to the chin in the sixth round of their fight for Pulev’s WBA “regular” heavyweight title. Pulev could not beat the count from referee Rafael Ramos for the knockout win to Gassiev at 50 seconds of the round. It’s well worth a look!

What does this mean? The true (AKA “Super”) champion is of course Oleksandr Usyk. But there is also a WBA interim heavyweight champion, and that’s Fabio Wardley of England. We may see a Wardley vs Gassiev matchup, but it’s the WBA.