Diego Pacheco's final test before a potential world title shot could prove to be his toughest.
Pacheco will make his third appearance of the calendar year when facing fellow undefeated super middleweight contender
Kevin Lele Sadjo on December 13 at the Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California, to be
streamed worldwide on DAZN.
The headline attraction in two months' time was announced during DAZN's broadcast of
Jaron Ennis' first-round stoppage win over Uisma Lima overnight.
Los Angeles' Pacheco (24-0, 18 KOs) is coming off a one-sided unanimous decision victory
over Trevor McCumby on July 19 and will have at least one new voice in the corner, having last week split from
longtime trainer/manager Jose Benavidez Sr.
The towering 6-foot-4 Pacheco is ranked No. 3 by the WBO, No. 8 by the WBC, No. 9 by the WBA and No. 13 by the IBF and The Ring's No. 5-rated 168-pound contender.
The 24-year-old easily represents the biggest name and a career-toughest challenge for Sadjo. The Cameroon-born Frenchman enters their main event clash on the heels of a fourth-round stoppage of Martin Ezequiel Bulacio on Aug. 28. Sadjo (26-0, 23 KOs) has won three straight fights by stoppage and nine of his last 10 inside the distance.
Like Pacheco, the 35-year-old is also well-represented among the sanctioning bodies’ rankings. He's ranked No. 8 by the WBO, No. 10 by the WBC and No. 11 by the IBF but doesn't currently feature in The Ring's top-10 divisional ratings.
Exciting junior welterweight prospect
Ernesto Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) and junior lightweight contender Gabriel Flores Jr. (27-2, 8 KOs) will also feature on the undercard against opponents to be named later.