FIGHT WEEK
Tyson Fury will face familiar foe Derek Chisora in London. Meanwhile, in the Phoenix area, great little men Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez will face off in the rubber match of their epic trilogy.
TYSON FURY (32-0-1, 23 KOs) vs. DEREK CHISORA (33-12, 23 KOs) III
- When: Saturday, Dec. 3
- Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (7 p.m. in U.K.) (main event later in show)
- Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
- TV/Stream: ESPN+
- Division: Heavyweights (no limit)
- At stake: Fury’s WBC title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: Fury No. 6
- Odds: Fury 16½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Daniel Dubois vs. Kevin Lerena, heavyweights; Yvan Mendy vs. Denys Berinchyk, lightweight
- Prediction: Fury KO 6
- Background: Fans were hoping to see Fury fight Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship or longtime rival Anthony Joshua. Instead, the heavyweight king will face fading countryman Derek Chisora a third time. Fury easily outpointed Chisora in 2011 and knocked him out in 10 rounds in 2014, after which he went on to become a two-time champion and the best big man of his era. He’s coming off a sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte in April. Fury probably will face Usyk, Joshua or possibly Deontay Wilder in a fourth fight next year. Chisora? The 38-year-old Londoner is 13-7 since the setback, including three losses in his last four fights. He was outpointed by Usyk in 2020 and lost back-to-back decisions in competitive fights against Joseph Parker. He rebounded to narrowly outpoint Kubrat Pulev in their rematch in July, pumping some life back into his career.
JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA (43-3, 28 KOs) vs. ROMAN GONZALEZ (51-3, 23 KOs) III
- When: Saturday, Dec. 3
- Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona
- TV/Stream: DAZN
- Division: Junior bantamweight (115 pounds)
- At stake: Vacant WBA title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: Estrada No. 8, Gonzalez No. 14
- Odds: Even (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Julio Cesar Martinez vs. Samuel Carmona, flyweights (for Martinez’s WBC title); Joselito Velasquez vs. Cristopher Rosales, flyweights; Diego Pacheco vs. Ricardo Adrian Luna, super middleweights
- Prediction: Estrada SD
- Background: This is the rubber match of one of the most compelling trilogies in recent years. “Chocolatito” was in his prime when he defeated a young Estrada by a unanimous decision in a competitive fight in 2012. The four-division champion from Nicaragua went on to solidify his reputation as one of the best little men of all time, even bouncing back from back-to-back losses to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017 to reclaim pound-for-pound status. The 35-year-old easily outpointed flyweight champ Julio Cesar Martinez in March. Estrada also built a Hall of Fame career since his initial setback against Gonzalez, fighting at the pinnacle of the sport for a decade and winning major titles he two divisions. He avenged the loss to Gonzalez by outpointing him in an entertaining brawl in March of last year, although the result was disputed. The 32-year-old Mexican is coming off a so-so performance in a unanimous-decision victory over capable Argi Cortes this past September.
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
- Ricky Frausto vs. Kaleel Carter, heavyweights, Costa Mesa, California (FITE)
FRIDAY
- Brandon Glanton vs. David Light, cruiserweights, Plant City, Florida (ProBox TV)
SATURDAY
- John Riel Casimero vs. Ryo Akaho, junior featherweights, Inchon, South Korea (FITE)
- Richard Medina vs. Steve Garagarza, junior lightweights, San Antonio (FITE)
- Colton Warner vs. Tommy Matlon, heavyweights, Minneapolis (FITE)
- David Stevens vs. Christopher Brooker, super middleweights, Philadelphia (BXNGTV)
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