Unbeaten super lightweight contender Sergey Lipinets (9-0, 7 KOs) will battle hard-hitting Walter Castillo (26-3-1, 19 KOs) in the 12-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN on Friday, July 15 from Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino in Tunica, Mississippi.
Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features 2012 Olympic Silver medalist Tugstsogt Nyambayar (5-0, 5 KOs) facing veteran featherweight contender Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-2, 13 KOs) in a 10-round fight.
“My opponent is a very tough and experienced guy but I want to be the first one to stop him,” said Lipinets. “Buddy McGirt is my new trainer and we’ve been having a great training camp. We will have a plan for anything Castillo can bring into the ring. I believe with my new trainer I will add even more to my arsenal.”
“I’m very motivated by this fight and I plan on giving Lipinets his first pro loss,” said Castillo. “This is going to be a war. Every fight I’m in is exciting and this one will be no different. The winner of this fight will be in line for a world title and I’m going to be the man with my hand raised.”
“Warriors Boxing is thrilled to promote this action-packed PBC event on ESPN,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing. “Going back to Tunica, which has a history of hosting important boxing events, is a unique opportunity for these up-and-coming contenders to showcase their talent locally and on the national stage.”
An accomplished amateur who was born in Kazakhstan but fights out of Russia, Lipinets turned pro in April of 2014 with a decision victory over Franklin Varela. The 26-year-old recorded six knockouts in a row before stepping up in competition and impressing with a victory over Haskell Lydell Rhodes in March 2015 and a knockout of Levan Ghvamichava in March. He looks to keep the hot streak going with another tough matchup on July 15.
The 27-year-oldCastillo is an exciting brawler who never takes a step back and will look to put on a show for fans on July 15. The Managua, Nicaragua-born knockout artist ended 12 of his first professional 14 victories inside of the distance. Most recently, he stopped Ammeth Diaz in the third round of their July bout before fighting to a draw with Keita Obara in their world title eliminator in November.
A 2012 Olympic Silver medalist from Mongoloa, Nyambayar now fights out of Carson, California. The 23-year-old turned pro in March of 2015 with a first round knockout of Gabriel Braxton. Since then, Nyambayar has picked up four more stoppage victories including triumphs over veterans Juan Ruiz and Arturo Badillo.
Brooklyn’s Vazquez kept a busy schedule in 2015, going 4-1 in five fights with four knockouts. Vazquez, who lost both of his parents at an early age and endured a stint in prison as a wayward youth, turned pro in September 2010. He won eight fights in a row between 2013 and 2015 and will look to bounce back from a loss to Ryan Kielczewski in October.
