The August 2 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights will feature undefeated former interim Featherweight titlist Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (22-0, 1 NC, 16 KOs, ESPN.com No. 10 ranked Featherweight) and Luis “La Estrella” Franco (11-1, 7 KOs) in the 10-round Featherweight main event. Friday’s show from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla., will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Main Event:
California’s Fortuna, trained by Pablo Sarmiento (who also trains Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez), is coming off a first-round knockout win over Miguel Zamudio.
“Franco is very dangerous, but this fight will prove that Fortuna is the best Featherweight in the world,” Fortuna’s advisor Sampson Lewkowicz said. “When he wins this fight, he will challenge any Featherweight or Super Featherweight in the world.”
Miami’s Franco, a 2004 Olympian for Cuba, is looking to rebound from a 12-round split decision loss to Mauricio Munoz.
“Franco has prepared well for this fight and he’s training hard,” Franco’s trainer Jorge Rubio said. “I think we’re going to win the fight. Fortuna is a big puncher, but we’re going to be better than him in that fight.”
Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit former Welterweight titlist Kermit Cintron (33-5-2, 28 KOs) of Pennsylvania against Dominican Republic’s Jonathan “Muka” Batista (14-1, 7 KOs). Cintron is looking to get back to his winning ways following a 10-round draw with Adrian Granados in his last fight, while Batista scored a first-round TKO over Carlos Rodriguez.
