Reigning European welterweight titleholder Samuel Molina will look to make the second successful defense of his crown when he faces unbeaten Anas Messaoudi on August 2.

The fight will be promoted by Saga Heredia Promotions and take place in the 26-year-old Molina’s hometown at the Plaza de Toros La Malagueta in Malaga, Spain.

Interestingly, this will be the first time the famed bull ring has played host to a boxing event since the promoter’s uncle, Jose Luis Heredia, won the European junior welterweight title from compatriot Fernando Sanchez in March 1979.

The nine-bout undercard will also see Jose Luis Navarro Jr. (15-2, 10 KOs) face France's Mustapha Zaoche (16-1, 6 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round contest. Also tabbed to appear is once-beaten lightweight Rafael Acosta (14-1, 5 KOs), who will meet durable Italian Giuseppe Carafa (20-6-2, 3 KOs) in a 12-round bout.

Molina (32-3, 15 KOs) turned professional in August 2017. He claimed the Spanish lightweight title in 2019.

He lost his unbeaten record when he stepped into international class against Artem Harutyunyan, who knocked him out in the fifth round of their September 2021 bout in Hamburg, Germany. After moving up to junior welterweight, he came unstuck when he was narrowly beaten by Francesco Patera by majority decision in April 2022 in Herstal, Belgium.

Molina rebounded to become Spanish champion at 140 pounds when he beat fellow Spaniard Jon Fernandez unanimously in a 10-rounder in December 2022 in Malaga. That led to an unsuccessful shot at the European 140-pound title against Franck Petitjean, a 12-rounder Molina lost by majority decision in June 2023 in Paris.

Molina became a three-weight Spanish champion when he stopped Jerobe Santana in the 10th round in May 2024 in Malaga. He then levelled up with a career-best win when edged Jordy Weiss by majority decision last October 24 in Laval, France.

He has since made once successful defense against Sandy Messaoud, whom he beat by unanimous decision in a 12-rounder on February 15 in Malaga.

Messaoudi (17-0, 11 KOs) fought internationally as an amateur, notably taking part in the World Series of Boxing. He turned professional in November 2017.

The 31-year-old Messaoudi won the Belgium national title by dominating Cedrick Peynaud in a 10-rounder in January 2020 in Brussels. Paris’ Peynaud some notoriety by twice dropping Conor Benn, though he ultimately came up short on the scorecards in July 2018 at O2 Arena in London.

Messaoudi has since won an IBF regional title by beating Miguel Parra by majority decision in a 10-rounder in March 2023 in Anderlecht, Belgium. He will fight for the first time professionally outside of Belgium when he meets Molina.