Undefeated welterweight rising star Sammy “The Sergeant” Vasquez Jr. (21-0, 15 KOs)is set to battle former Olympic Gold medalist Felix Diaz (17-1, 8 KOs)in the 10-round co-main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Saturday, July 16 from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
Diaz replaces former world champion Luis Collazo, who was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a torn calf muscle.
“Sammy Vasquez Jr., a U.S. Army veteran and undefeated contender, against once-beaten former Olympic Gold medalist Felix Diaz is an excellent matchup between two rising stars in the welterweight division,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Following last week’s tremendous battle between Thurman and Porter, I am excited that PBC on FOX is showcasing the welterweight division once again on network television.”
PBC on FOX is headlined by Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder defending his title against Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola with televised coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Following the conclusion of Wilder vs. Arreola, there will be two more hours of PBC fights on FS1, starting at 10 p.m. ET.
Vasquez has fought professionally since 2012, after serving two tours of duty in Iraq as a member of the National Guard. He made it to the semifinals of the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials and won gold at the 2010 and 2011 Armed Forces Boxing Championships. The fighter out of Monessen, Penn., notched big victories in 2015 over Wale Omotoso in June and Jose Lopez in September. In PBC on FOX action in January, Vasquez stopped veteran contender Aron Martinez in the sixth-round in Los Angeles.
A two-time Olympian representing the Dominican Republic, Diaz Jr. won a gold medal at his second Olympic games in 2008 in Beijing. Now fighting out of the Bronx, the 32-year-old increased the level of his competition with victories over Emmanuel Lartey, Adrian Granados and Gabriel Bracero before giving former champion Lamont Peterson all he could handle in losing a majority decision last October.
