Oscar Valdez tuned up for a fall showdown with Miguel Berchelt by stopping veteran Jayson Velez in the final round of their 10-round junior lightweight bout at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas,

In the waning seconds of round five, Valdez dropped Velez with a powerful left hook to the chin.

In round nine, Velez was deduced a point for a low blow. In round ten, Valdez put Velez down with a left hook. Upon getting up, Velez ate more left hook that made him stumble in to the ropes, and the bout was stopped at 2:23.

Valdez, 129.9 lbs of Nogales, MEX is 28-0 with 22 knockouts. Berchelt, 130 lbs of Juncos, PR is 29-7-1.

“Miguel Berchelt is the fight I want. He has the WBC title at 130 pounds. I want the WBC title. Miguel and I would make for a great fight,” Valdez said. “Velez was everything I expected, a tough warrior who fought his heart out. I commend him for a great performance and a great fight.”

Berlanga keeps 1st round KO in streak; Stops Moon in 1!!

Edgar Berlanga kept his perfect 1st round knockout streak in-tact as he stopped Eric Moon in the opening frame of their scheduled eight-round super middleweight fight.

Berlanga landed some hard body shots that was followed by a crushing right to the head that dumped Moon on the canvas. Moon tried to get up, but he fell back down, and the fight was stopped at 1:02.

Berlanga, 169 lbs of Brooklyn is 14-0 with 14 knockouts. Moon, 1687.7 lbs of Marietta, GA is 11-3.

“It was another step-up fight for me. We prepared to go rounds, but I got him hurt and got him out of there,” Berlanga said. “I still have so much room to grow as a fighter. The power is there, but I will show everyone that I am a well-rounded fighter. The knockout streak is cool, but there is more to me than first-round knockouts.”

Former world champion Isaac Dogboe stopped former world title challenger Chris Avalos in the final round of their scheduled eight-round featherweight bout.

Dogboe hurt Avalos with a hard combination and landed a booming left hook that had the fight stopped at 2:25.

Dogboe, 126 lbs of Ghana is now 21-2 with 15 knockouts. Avalos, 125.9 lbs of Lancaster, CA 27-8.

“I was off for 14 months. This was a long time coming. I felt great with my new trainer, Barry Hunter. We’re only getting warmed up,” Dogboe said. “I wanted to show everyone that Isaac Dogboe never went away. I’m still here, and I am only getting better.”

Elvis Rodriguez stopped Dennis Okoth in round two of their scheduled six-round junior welterweight bout.

Rodriguez, 141.8 lbs of The Dominican Republic is 8-0-1 with eight knockouts. Okoth, 141.5 lbs of Kenya is 4-4-1.

Kim Clavel won an eight-round unanimous decision over Natalie Gonzalez in a light flyweight bout.

Clavel out-landed Gonzalez 131-58.

Clavel, 109.8 lbs of Montreal, CAN won by scores of 80-72 on all cards is now 12-0. Gonzalez, 109.9 lbs of New Rochelle, NY is 6-1.

“I knew it would be a hard fight because she’s a good fighter. She had a good amateur background,” Clavel said. “This was my first time here. I had some pressure, but with every round, I felt better and better in the ring with my coach. We won all the rounds. This is what we wanted.

“I would love to stay active and fight again before the end of 2020. I want to be the best in the light flyweight division.”   

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 3, 2020): Three homegrown Golden Boy fighters will make their ring returns after challenging for a world title on the March 19 edition of Golden Boy and DAZN’s Thursday Night Nights at Avalon Hollywood. The event will be streamed live on DAZN, RingTV.com and on Facebook Watch via the Golden Boy Fight Night Page beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

In the main event, Joet Gonzalez (23-1, 14 KOs) of Glendora, Calif, will take on Chris Avalos (27-7, 20 KOs) of Lancaster, Calif. in a 10-round featherweight fight. Gonzalez will return after challenging for the WBO Featherweight World Championship in October 2019.

“I can’t wait to step back into the ring,” said Joet Gonzalez. “I fought for a world title, so I know what it’s like to be at that level. Now, I’ll be coming back with an even stronger desire to become a world champion. I want to thank my manager, Frank Espinoza, and my promoter, Golden Boy, for the opportunity. This March 19, I will not disappoint.”

“We’re coming to win,” said Chris Avalos. “We’re back on track. The old Chris Avalos is back. You [Joet] may think I’m a joke. You may think I’m washed up. But I’m coming to kick your ass. Keep your hands or you will see what happens.”

In the co-main event, Lamont Roach Jr. (19-1-1, 7 KOs) of Washington, D.C. will fight against Filipino warrior Neil John Tabanao (17-7, 11 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight fight. Roach Jr. will come back after challenging for the WBO Junior Lightweight World Title in November 2019.

“I’ve been itching to get back in that square to show that I’m the best at 130,” said Lamont Roach Jr. “My last fight was just a glimpse, but this year it’s all the way up with me.”

“I’m looking forward to this fight against Lamont Roach Jr.,” said Niel John Tabanao. “I know that he’s coming off his first loss and that he wants to fight for a world title again. However, I more experience than he, and I know how to score an upset. We’ll see you all on March 19.”

Marlen Esparza (7-1, 1 KO) of Houston, Texas will participate in a six-round super flyweight clash against Lucia Nuñez (7-10) of Mexico City, Mexico. Esparza will return after fighting for the WBA Interim Flyweight Title in November 2019.

“I’m ready to get back in the ring,” said Marlen Esparza. “There were multiple factors that made this last fight a real learning experience, but this next round of professional boxing is just the beginning of much more. I’m looking forward to coming out with the new strategies that I’ve been learning and switching up my game a bit.”

“I’m coming to score the upset,” said Lucia Nuñez. “I know that Marlen Esparza is strong and that she has a lot of experience. But I also have those same qualities, and I’ll be coming with an even stronger will to win. We will see you all on March 19.”

The undercard of his event will be stacked with some of Golden Boy’s most promising rising stars.

Richard “Kansas Kid” Acevedo (5-0-1, 5 KOs) of Garden City, Kansas will take on Jeremy Ramos (11-8, 4 KOs) of Colorado Springs, Colorado in a six-round super welterweight battle.

Rudy “El Tiburon” Garcia (10-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles and Andrew Strode (6-0, 1 KO) of Denver, Colorado will meet in a six-round super bantamweight bout between two undefeated prospects.

Jousce “Tito” Gonzalez (10-0-1, 9 KOs) of Glendora, Calif. will return in a six-round lightweight fight against Jose Meza (6-4, 1 KO) of Durango Mexico.

Nick Sullivan (2-0, 1 KO) of Norfolk, Va. will open the night in a four-round 135-pound clash against Marquese Steward (1-1) of Pflugerville, Texas.

Gonzalez vs. Avalos is a 10-round featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy. The fights will take place Thursday, March 19 at Avalon Hollywood. The event will be streamed live on DAZN, RingTV.com and on Facebook Watch via the Golden Boy Fight Night Page beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The series will also be available
on Pluto TV’s FIGHT Channel and regional sports networks around the nation. To see when and where the series is available in your area click here.

Tickets for Gonzalez vs. Avalos go on sale on Monday, Feb. 3 at 10:00 a.m. PT and are priced at $30, $40, $50, and $80, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.goldenboytickets.com and the Golden Boy Facebook page.

Media interested in covering Gonzalez vs. Avalos must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are due Monday, March 16 at 5:00 p.m. PT. Click here to apply for a media credential. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval for a credential. You cannot transfer your credentials to someone else. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #GonzalezAvalos, #ThursdayNightFights and #TNF.

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