FIGHT WEEK
Tyson Fury will face familiar foe Derek Chisora in London. Meanwhile, in the Phoenix area, the great little men Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez will go head-to-head in rubber duels in their epic trilogy.
TYSON FURY (32-0-1, 23 KOs) vs DEREK CHISORA (33-12, 23 KOs) III
- When: Saturday, December 3
- Time: 2pm ET / 11am PT (7pm UK) (main event follows)
- Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
- television/stream: GAME +
- Assignment: Heavyweight (unlimited)
- threatened: Fury’s WBC title
- Pound-for-pound ratings: Rage number 6
- the odds: Prograis 17-1 favorite (multi-store average)
- Also on the card: Daniel Dubois vs Kevin Lerena, heavyweights; Yvan Mendy vs Denys Berinchyk, lightweight
- Guess: Rage KO 6
- Story: Fans had been hoping to see Fury take on Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed title or longtime rival Anthony Joshua. Instead, the heavyweight king will take on his lackluster compatriot Derek Chisora for a third time. Fury easily overtook Chisora in 2011 and knocked him out in 10 rounds in 2014, after which he became a two-time champion and greatest man of his time. He’s coming out of the sixth round take down Dillian Whyte in April. Fury will likely face Usyk, Joshua or possibly Deontay Wilder in a fourth bout next year. Chisora? The 38-year-old London player is leading 13-7 since the defeat, including 3 losses in the last 4 matches. He was eliminated by Usyk in 2020 and lost decisively in a row in competitive matches against Joseph Parker. He recovered narrowly pointed out Kubrat Pulev in their rematch in July, giving some life to his career.
JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA (43-3, 28 KO) vs ROMAN GONZALEZ (51-3, 23 KO) III
- When: Saturday, December 3
- Time: 8pm ET / 5pm PT (main event after that)
- Where: Diamond Desert Arena, Glendale, Arizona
- television/stream: DAZN
- Assignment: Small bantamweight (115 pounds)
- threatened: WBA title is vacant
- Pound-for-pound ratings: Estrada number 8, Gonzalez number 14
- the odds: Even (average of multiple stores)
- Also on the card: Julio Cesar Martinez versus Samuel Carmona, flyweight (for Martinez’s WBC title); Joselito Velasquez vs Cristopher Rosales, flyweight; Diego Pacheco vs Ricardo Adrian Luna, super middleweight
- Guess: Estrada SD
- Story: This is the rubber match of one of the most intriguing trios in recent years. “Chocolatito” was at its peak when he defeated young Estrada by unanimous decision in a competitive match in 2012. The four-division champion from Nicaragua continued to cement his reputation as a champion. way as one of the best little men of all time, even re-emerged after consecutive losses to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017 to regain the pound status. Flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez, 35, easily passed in March. Estrada has also built a career in the Hall of Fame since his first defeat to Gonzalez, fighting at the top of the sport for a decade and winning major titles in two divisions. He revenge for the loss of Gonzalez by knocking him out in an amusing brawl last March, though the outcome is controversial. The 32-year-old Mexican is putting on a mediocre performance in a unanimous decision victory over Argi Cortes is likely last September.
FIGHT THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
- Jessica Nery Plata vs Kim Clavel, junior flyweight (Plata’s WBA belt and Clavel’s WBC belt), Laval, Canada (no US TV)
FRIDAY
- Brandon Glanton vs David Light, cruiser class, Plant City, Florida (ProBox TV)
SATURDAY
- Colton Warner vs. Tommy Matlon, heavyweight, Minneapolis (FITE)
