Badillo vs. Zapata: Latin Rivalry Towards the WBC Title

The Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, will host a high-voltage eliminator where Mexican Erik Badillo Mares (17-0, 8 KOs) will face Nicaraguan Gerardo “Cascabel” Zapata (15-2-1, 5 KOs) in the official final eliminator for the WBC minimumweight title.

Badillo, 29, is ranked number 2 in the WBC minimumweight rankings and holds an undefeated record with a 47 percent knockout rate, while Zapata, 30, is ranked number 7 in the WBC rankings and arrives with a solid trajectory.

The winner of this duel will become the mandatory challenger to the current WBC champion, Thailand’s Panya Pradabsri.
This eliminator represents the ultimate opportunity for both Latin American fighters. Badillo wants to maintain his undefeated record and earn the right to the “green and gold” belt;

Zapata seeks to vindicate himself and reach the top. With complementary styles, the clash promises a tactical, strategic, and exciting confrontation.