On a stacked card headlined by Terence “Bud” Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov, one particular undercard bout could be the fight of the night: Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz defends his WBA super-lightweight world title against Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela.
The event will occur on Saturday night, August 3rd, at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and will air live on DAZN PPV. Pitbull Cruz is coming off a win that made him a world champion, and Rayo Valenzuela’s last performance featured the knockout of the year.
In December 2021, Isaac Cruz gained notoriety when he was very competitive in a loss to Gervonta “Tank” Davis. After two consecutive knockout victories, Cruz had a subpar performance in a split-decision win over Giovanni Cabrera.
On March 30, 2024, Isaac Cruz fulfilled a lifelong goal when he faced Rolando “Rolly” Romero. In the opening round, Cruz was very aggressive, as Romero had no idea how to defend against the relentless pressure.
During the fight, Cruz consistently hit Rolly Romero with devastating power shots. Romero was badly hurt in the eighth round as the referee proceeded to step in and put a halt to the contest.
With the win, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) became the new WBA super-lightweight world champion. On Saturday night, Cruz will defend his title against a hard-hitting competitor.
Jose Valenzuela was an undefeated fighter when he faced Edwin De Los Santos in September 2022. With 1:14 left to go in the second round, Venezuela landed a counter left hook that sent De Los Santos to the canvas.
Thirty seconds later, De Los Santos floored Venezuela. In the third round of the bout, De Los Santos scored a second knockdown, and after Valenzuela got up, De Los Santos proceeded to land hard power shots as the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
Jose Valenzuela would go on to face Chris Colbert in his next fight. In the first 30 seconds of the opening round, Valenzuela landed a big left hook that sent Colbert down to the canvas.
It seemed like Venezuela did enough to win the bout, but Chris Colbert was awarded the controversial decision at the end of the 10-round contest. Nine months later, in the 6th round of the rematch, Valenzuela landed a hard right hand that knocked Colbert out cold.
Fresh off his highlight reel-style knockout, Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs) is set to make his first attempt at winning a world title. The Pitbull Cruz vs. Rayo Valenzuela bout is a fight between two strong punchers, and many anticipate that it will end in a knockout.
Jose Valenzuela will look to control the range and distance of the bout by fighting off the back foot and luring Cruz into some countershots. Timing, footwork, and stamina will be essential for Rayo Valenzuela.
The biggest concern for 25-year-old Jose Valenzuela is his lack of defense. Valenzuela is there to be hit, and on top of that, Pitbull Cruz is a fighter who is always in great shape and prepared to press forward and attack for the duration of the fight.
Standing at 5 ft 4, 26-year-old Isaac Cruz utilizes a tight guard, which allows him to fight off the front foot and execute his catch-and-shoot. Because Cruz is so compact, it’s difficult to find a target to hit. The only opening Cruz makes available is the opportunity to counter when he misses the overhand right.
Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov is the main attraction, but due to the punching power and aggressive nature of both Pitbull Cruz and Rayo Valenzuela, this undercard bout could be the fight of the night.
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