Diego Pacheco, the consensus top-10 ranked unbeaten super middleweight, will return to the ring and to Matchroom Boxing July 18, when he meets recent WBC interim title challenger Immanuwel Aleem.
The promotion announced Saturday, with both fighters in attendance before Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez’s WBA bantamweight title fight against champion Antonio Vargas, that the bout will take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, streamed by DAZN.
The 25-year-old Pacheco 25-0 (18KOs) last fought December 13 in Stockton, California, defeating Kevin Lele Sadjo by scores of 116-111, 117-110, and 115-112.
But South Central Los Angeles’ Pacheco was knocked down in the eighth round, and his third consecutive unanimous decision inspired wholesale changes.
Pacheco moved to a new manager, Sheer Sports, which counts veteran fight man Robert Diaz on its team, and Pacheco also aligned with a new trainer, the blunt-speaking International Hall of Fame fighter Buddy McGirt.
Pacheco’s earlier contract with promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing was to expire this summer, but was instead renewed.
“I’m looking forward to taking him to the world title,” Diaz told BoxingScene of Pacheco, the former WBO top-ranked contender to then-168 lbs champion Canelo Alvarez.
Pacheco’s flat showing in January 2025 versus Steven Nelson, and the other decisions, contributed to his rankings fall, but he remains No. 3 to champion Hamzah Sheeraz in the WBO, No. 4 to IBF champion Osleys Iglesias, No. 4 behind full champion Christian Mbilli and interim champion Lester Martinez in the WBC and No. 7 to new WBA champion Jaime Munguia.
Pacheco returns to Carson’s outdoor venue, where several fights of the year have occurred, after knocking out former middleweight title challenger Maciej Sulecki there in 2004 in a DAZN main event versus IBF No. 3-rated Albert Bell 28-0 (9KOs) of Ohio.
In the 32-year-old Aleem, 22-4-3 (14 KOs), Pacheco meets the WBC’s No.14-ranked contender who was defeated by the unbeaten Martinez by unanimous decision on March 21 in San Bernardino, California.
‘I’m excited [Pacheco] will be back with Matchroom and back fighting in the summer at the ‘War Grounds,’ where we’ll see a star in the making,” Diaz said.
Recent IBF lightweight title challenger and 2021 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz,6-1 (3 KOs), will fight in the co-main event versus IBF No. 3-rated Albert Bell 28-0 (9 KOs) of Ohio.