Welp, there goes tomorrow’s biggest fight. Multiple outlets report that Alexis Rocha is out of his planned rematch with Raul Curiel, who now seeks an eleventh-hour opponent.
Chris Mannix cites Rocha’s (25-2-1, 16 KO) trainer, Hector Lopez, to claim that his charge “had an issue that forced him to be hospitalized for a few hours.” Other sources attest that Rocha ran into difficulty while cutting to the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
Per Lance Pugmire, local super lightweight Israel Mercado (13-1-2, 7 KO) is among three potential replacements. Mercado is, by all appearances, a fairly decent foe considering the late notice; his only loss is a well-aged majority decision against still-unbeaten Arthur Biyarslanov in 2021.
I’m certain Curiel (16-0-1, 14 KO) just wants to stay active after a one-fight 2025, so we’ll update this post as soon as we get word.
UPDATE: Lance Pugmire brings word that Curiel will meet Jordan Panthen (11-1, 9 KO) in a 158-pound catchweight bout. Panthen, a Ronnie Shields protege who generally bounces between 154 and 160, is coming off a majority decision loss to Farid Ngoga in July.
