Ricardo Sandoval and Galal Yafai set for early 2026 showdown

The highly anticipated WBC Flyweight World Championship bout between American Ricardo Sandoval and Britain’s Galal Yafai is expected to take place in early 2026, according to promoter Eddie Hearn.

Yafai, an Olympic gold medalist and the current mandatory challenger, earned his shot after former champion Francisco Rodríguez Jr. tested positive for heptaminol following his June victory over Sandoval. With that result overturned, the WBC reinstated Sandoval as champion, after his prior brilliant win against Japan’s Kenshiro Teraji.

The delay in scheduling the fight comes from an injury Sandoval suffered after his bout with Teraji. Although the match was initially planned for late 2025, Hearn explained that they decided to postpone it to ensure the champion’s full recovery.

“Ricardo needed time to heal, and Galal also comes off a tough twelve-rounder, so this timing works for both,” said Hearn, who expects to finalize the date and venue soon.

If confirmed, Sandoval vs. Yafai will be one of the most exciting flyweight clashes to kick off 2026—a meeting between a precise, technical champion and an aggressive challenger hungry for glory.

Both fighters are poised to headline one of the year’s first great stories under the Green and Gold banner.