Emanuel Navarrete and Raymond Muratalla will share the May 10th card, with Navarrete’s defense of his WBO 130-lb strap against Charly Suarez and Muratalla’s battle against Zaur Abdullaev for the IBF interim 135-lb belt at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California. The event will be shown live on ESPN and ESPN+, beginning at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT.
Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) is being roasted by fans on social media for choosing to fight the 36-year-old Suarez (18-0, 10 KOs) instead of facing WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster in a unification fight. Fans in the U.S have never heard of the Philippines-born Suarez, and they’re not interested in seeing another mismatch involving Navarrete fighting another older guy.
Much of the popularity that Navarrete once had evaporated after his controversial 12-round draw against Robson Conceicao in 2023 and his loss to Denys Berinchyk in 2024. There was also a questionable fight for Navarrete against Liam Wilson in February 2023 in which he was dropped in the fourth and then spit out his mouthpiece and given what a lot of people thought was an eternity before the action was re-started. The move appeared to save Navarrete from being knocked out by the underdog Wilson.
Lightweight contender Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) is the one that fans will be watching on this card, as he has an exciting style and is still hungry at 28. He has knockout power in both hands and will be fighting #2 IBF-ranked Abdullaev (20-1, 12 KOs) in a 12-rounder for the interim belt. The winner of this fight could be elevated to full champion status if Vasyl Lomachenko doesn’t return to reclaim his belt.
“San Diego is an incredible fight town, and we are thrilled to return with Emanuel Navarrete, who will go down as one of the great Mexican champions of his era,” said promoter Bob Arum. “Charly Suarez is a determined, unbeaten contender who will have everyone in the Philippines cheering him on. Raymond Muratalla is an elite lightweight but has a tall task against Abdullaev, who has been on a tremendous run for several years.”
