Well, that marks the end of tomorrow’s most significant match. Various sources indicate that Alexis Rocha will not participate in his scheduled rematch against Raul Curiel, who is now looking for a last-minute opponent.
Chris Mannix refers to Rocha’s (25-2-1, 16 KO) coach, Hector Lopez, stating that Rocha “experienced a problem that necessitated a brief hospitalization.” Additional reports confirm that Rocha encountered issues while attempting to make the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
According to Lance Pugmire, local super lightweight Israel Mercado (13-1-2, 7 KO) is one of three possible substitutes. Mercado appears to be quite a viable contender given the short notice; his sole defeat was a mature majority decision to still-unbeaten Arthur Biyarslanov in 2021.
I’m sure Curiel (16-0-1, 14 KO) simply wants to maintain activity after a one-fight outing in 2025, so we’ll provide updates to this post as soon as we receive information.
UPDATE: Lance Pugmire reports that Curiel will face Jordan Panthen (11-1, 9 KO) in a catchweight bout at 158 pounds. Panthen, a Ronnie Shields trainee who typically competes between 154 and 160, is coming off a majority decision defeat to Farid Ngoga in July.
