Hovhannisyan\u2019s victory got the attention of Zuffa Boxing, and the former world title challenger signed a three-fight deal with the upstart company and will be making his promotional debut Sunday against Eduardo Baez in a 10-round featherweight fight.<\/p>\n
The bout will kick off the three-fight main card on Paramount+ as part of the Zuffa Boxing 5 show headlined by lightweights Andres Cortes and Eridson Garcia. <\/p>\n
The always-entertaining Hovhannisyan (22-6, 17 KOs), a 37-year-old Armenian trained by Hall of Fame coach Freddie Roach, is a made-for-TV fighter who pushes the action at a frenetic pace and presents a fan-friendly style. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Hovhannisyan believes a convincing win against Baez (25-7-2, 10 KOs) will allow him to begin a wild ride in Zuffa\u2019s featherweight division as he enters the final chapter of his career. <\/p>\n
\u201cI am ready to wreak havoc and make a statement to prove that I am still a world-class fighter and a contender who has what it takes to be the champion,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m 37, but I feel young and have a lot more to give to the sport against anyone they put in front of me.\u201d <\/p>\n
Hovhannisyan ended a three-fight losing streak against top-notch competition when he scored an eight-round unanimous decision against the junior lightweight Medet, a 25-year-old from Kazakhstan. <\/p>\n
The trio of setbacks started when Hovhannisyan gave Luis Nery hell in an 11th-round knockout loss during a brutal barnburner that was named The Ring\u2019s 2023 Fight of the Year. Unanimous decision losses followed against eventual title challengers David Picasso in August 2024 and Sebastian Hernandez in May.<\/p>\n
The losses stopped a seven-fight winning streak (six by stoppage) for Hovhannisyan following his 2018 decision defeat against then-WBC junior bantamweight champion Rey Vargas. <\/p>\n
Hovhannisyan worked his way up to being a WBA 122-pound mandatory challenger following the Vargas fight, but a title opportunity was never presented while fighting under the Golden Boy Promotions banner. <\/p>\n
Hovhannisyan, previously a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Vic Darchinyan, believes he still has plenty left in the tank to prove that he can be a champion, much like his iconic countryman. <\/p>\n
In the meantime, he\u2019s opened his own gym in Glendale, California, in the Azat Boxing Club and is grooming the next generation of Armenian amateur fighters. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
But Hovhannisyan isn\u2019t ready to pass the torch quite yet. <\/p>\n
Beating the equally battle-tested Baez \u2014 who\u2019s lost to Emanuel Navarrete, Angelo Leo and Mauricio Lara \u2014 will propel Hovhannisyan to even bigger opportunities. <\/p>\n
\u201cBaez loves to fight, and I have a Mexican style and love bringing the fight to my opponents even more,\u201d said Hovhannisyan. \u201cI will be ready with whatever he presents. I plan on stealing the show by knocking out Baez for the performance bonus. I have a great opportunity with Zuffa Boxing, and I plan on taking full advantage of it.\u201d <\/p>\n
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring\u2019s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan<\/p>\n
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