The July 26 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights will feature former Jr. Lightweight and Featherweight title challenger Juan Carlos “Mini” Burgos (30-1-1 20 KOs and Yakubu “The Black Mamba” Amidu (18-4-1, 16 KOs) in the 12-round Lightweight main event. Friday’s show from Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, Calif., will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Check out a video preview nad full breakdown of the main event and the co-feature right here.
Main Event:
Mexico’s Burgos is coming off a 12-round draw in a Jr. Lightweight title challenge against Roman Martinez.
After that fight, ESPN.com boxing writer Dan Rafael wrote, “Making his first defense, Martinez escaped with his belt on another highly debatable decision. Almost all of press row, as well as the Twitterverse and HBO’s Harold Lederman, had Burgos winning the fight. He hammered Martinez with hard body punches throughout the bout. According to CompuBox, Burgos landed more punches in 10 out of the 12 rounds. Burgos just seemed more in control, stronger and better able to do what he wanted to do. Martinez seemed to have a hard time dealing with his height and reach.”
California’s Amidu, who is co-managed by actor Vince Vaughn, is looking to rebound from a 10-round split decision loss to Haskell Rhodes.
“I’ve been working with Yakubu since he came to the United States,” said Amidu’s co-manager & trainer Baba Sumaila. “I managed his brother, Abdullai. So when Yakubu came here, I started working with him. Yakubu is always training. When we have a fight, he increases the tempo to make him more ready for the fight. We know our opponent is very good, but we’re ready for that. We are ready.”
Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit Lightweights Miguel “Silky Smooth” Gonzalez (21-3, 15 KOs) of Cleveland against Brazil’s Josenilson “Jo” Dos Santos (24-1, 14 KOs). Gonzalez scored a 10-round unanimous decision win over former lightweight titlist Miguel Acosta in his last fight, while Dos Santos is looking to continue his winning ways following a 12-round unanimous decision win over Carlos Rodriguez.
