{"id":430079,"date":"2026-01-22T14:08:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T14:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/430079\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T14:08:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T14:08:08","slug":"top-three-fights-reportedly-confirmed-for-zuffa-boxings-second-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/430079\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Three Fights Reportedly Confirmed For Zuffa Boxing&#8217;s Second Event"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"46\">Dana White has reportedly set down a structure for Zuffa Boxing&#8217;s second event.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"49\">Days ahead of Zuffa Boxing 1, the top three fights for the promotion&#8217;s next event have been confirmed. Zuffa Boxing 2 will be headlined by former super lightweight champion Jose Valenzuela taking on the 22-1 Diego Torres, according to boxing reporter Dan Rafael. The fight will be a 10-round lightweight bout.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"4c\">Former WBC interim super welterweight champion Serhii Bohachuk will take on former WBA welterweight titleholder Radzhab Butaev in the co-main event, Rafael reported. Bohachuk and Butaev will compete in a 10-round middleweight bout.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Breaking: Per source, lineup for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Zuffa_Boxing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@Zuffa_Boxing<\/a>&#8216;s 2nd card on Feb. 1 at Apex in Las Vegas (all 10 rounders): Jose Valenzeula vs. Diego Torres, lightweights; Serhii Bohachuk vs. Radzhab Butaev, middleweights; Hot Rod Kalajdzic vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk, light heavyweights. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/boxing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">#boxing<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DanRafael1\/status\/2014174105688314188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">January 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"4i\">The featured bout will also include a former champion, with Oleksandr Gvozdyk facing ex-title challenger Radivoje &#8216;Hot Rod&#8217; Kalajdzic. The two light heavyweights will also lock horns across 10 rounds.<\/p>\n<p>Zuffa Boxing 2 announcement confirms six major signings<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"4o\">Valenzuela, Torres, Bohachuk, Butaev, Kalajdzic and Gvozdyk are all monumental additions to the growing Zuffa Boxing roster. Although none join the promotion as champions, each is considered a prominent contender in his respective division.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/01kfj67mz7m98sfskkha.jpg\" alt=\"Serhii Bohachuk and John Valenzuela \" title=\"Serhii Bohachuk and John Valenzuela \" width=\"4348\" height=\"2445\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"4x\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Serhii Bohachuk and John Valenzuela  | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"51\">Valenzuela is the most recent titleholder of the group, having just lost the belt in his most recent outing. The 26-year-old claimed champion status with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/boxing\/mexican-valenzuela-shocks-the-boxing-world-by-defeating-isaac-pitbull-cruz-for-the-wba-junior-welterweight-title-01j4f3zexrme\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">upset win over Isaac &#8216;Pitbull&#8217; Cruz<\/a> in August 2024, but he lost the belt in his first title defense against Gary Antuanne Russell.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"54\">Valenzuela&#8217;s opponent, Torres, is the No. 13-ranked lightweight contender in the WBC. Torres&#8217; only professional loss came against the IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"57\">Bohachuk and Butaev meet in the co-main event as former champions, albeit in separate divisions. Bohachuk claimed the WBC interim super welterweight title with a win over Brian Mendoza in March 2024 before losing it to Vergil Ortiz Jr. in his ensuing fight.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/01jmcyze7q11gw11719y.jpg\" alt=\"Vergil Ortiz lands a right hand on Serhii Bohachuk in their WBC interim super welterweight championship bout.\" title=\"Vergil Ortiz lands a right hand on Serhii Bohachuk in their WBC interim super welterweight championship bout.\" width=\"8256\" height=\"4644\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"5g\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Vergil Ortiz lands a right hand on Serhii Bohachuk in their WBC interim super welterweight championship bout on Aug. 10, 2024 | IMAGO\/ZUMA Press Wire<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-12\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5k\">Butaev, who has not fought since November 2023, was able to claim the WBA regular welterweight title with a win over Jamal Jones in 2021. He lost it to Eimantas Stanionis six months later in a controversial split decision.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5n\">Butaev has since rebounded with a stoppage win over Fazliddin Gaibnazarov, but he has not competed in the two years since.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5q\">Gvozdyk is arguably the most notable former champion of the six, having held the WBC light heavyweight title for nearly a year between 2018 and 2019. The Ukrainian&#8217;s only two professional losses came against Artur Beterbiev in 2019 and David Benavidez in 2024.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-15\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5t\">Gvozdyk will make his Zuffa Boxing debut against Kalajdzic, who is coming off a loss to David Morrell in a WBA light heavyweight title fight in August 2024. Kalajdzic also has a loss to Beterbiev, falling to the heavy-handed Russian five months before he went on to fight Gvozdyk.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-16\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5w\">The Latest Boxing News<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5z\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/boxing\/chase-demoor-reveals-andrew-tate-rematch-deadline-floats-fight-with-francis-ngannou\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chase DeMoor Reveals Andrew Tate Rematch Deadline, Floats Fight With Francis Ngannou<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-18\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"62\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/boxing\/promoters-of-usyk-vs-wilder-card-hoping-to-set-guinness-world-record\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Promoters of Usyk vs Wilder Card Hoping To Set Guinness World Record<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-19\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"65\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/boxing\/vergil-ortiz-jr-coach-wonders-if-turki-alalshikh-saw-golden-boy-lawsuit-coming\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Vergil Ortiz Jr&#8217;s Coach Wonders If Turki Alalshikh Saw Golden Boy Lawsuit Coming<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-20\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"68\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/boxing\/jai-opetaia-becomes-dana-white-and-zuffa-boxing-s-first-major-signing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jai Opetaia Becomes Dana White And Zuffa Boxing&#8217;s First Major Signing<\/a><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dana White has reportedly set down a structure for Zuffa Boxing&#8217;s second event. Days ahead of Zuffa Boxing&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":430080,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[64,63,802,85],"class_list":["post-430079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boxing","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430079"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430079\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/430080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}