Heavyweight Antonio Mireles Returns Saturday in Fresno

Antonio Mireles is ready for his shot on the big stage.

The 6-foot-9, 270-pound heavyweight southpaw will return in a six-round clash against Patrick Mailata on Saturday, March 25, at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

Mireles-Mailata will open the televised tripleheader headlined by the junior welterweight showdown between Jose Ramirez and Richard Commey and the minimumweight title unification bout between WBA titleholder Seniesa Estrada and WBC titlist Tina Rupprecht.

“El Gigante” is coming off a first-round knockout of previously unbeaten prospect Eric Perry last November 12 at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The scheduled six-round clash took place on the undercard of the middleweight world title main event featuring WBO titlist Zhanibek Alimkhanuly taking on Denzel Bentley.

Coverage will kickoff live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Antonio Mireles (6-0, 6 KOs) is a Mexican-American prospect from Des Moines, Iowa. As an amateur, he won several national tournaments and signed with Top Rank in September 2021. Mireles made his pro debut the following month on the undercard of the Emanuel Navarrete-Joet Gonzalez main event in San Diego, where he knocked down Demonte Randle three times en route to scoring a first-round KO.

The 25-year-old is looking to become just the second fighter of Mexican descent to win a heavyweight world title. The first was Andy Ruiz Jr., who became a three-belt titleholder on June 1, 2019, when he dropped then-undefeated champion Anthony Joshua four times and won via seventh-round TKO.

Antonio Mireles foe Mailata (6-1, 3 KOs), a Samoan-born prospect, had a decorated amateur career representing New Zealand. Mailata has won two straight since a majority decision loss to popular, scrappy journeyman Kingsley Ibeh.

In the main event, Ramirez (27-1, 17 KOs), a former unified junior welterweight champion, returns after nearly a year out of the ring to face a former lightweight beltholder in Commey.

Both fighters last fought Jose Pedraza. Ramirez, however, was the only one who came out victorious (UD 12). Commey, on the other hand, was forced to settle for a draw.