Kenneth Sims Jr. to end 14-month layoff Saturday in Las Vegas

Kenneth Sims Jr. will make his ring return in a 10-round junior welterweight contest against Jair Valtierra on Saturday in Las Vegas.

The fight, which will be featured on the Vergil Ortiz Jr.-Serhii Bohachuk undercard at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, will be the first in more than a year for Sims, who last fought in May 2023 in a majority decision win over Botirzhon Akhmedov.

Sims, a former prospect, never fully rediscovered his footing after being saddled with two losses and a draw over a five-fight stretch in 2017-2018, and the hope is that new promoter Golden Boy can help steer him back on solid ground.

“I’m excited to be making my Golden Boy debut on a big card,” Sims said. “I plan on making a statement with this performance. It’s been over a year since I last fought, so I want to remind the world that I’m a real player in the 140-pound division and I have the ability to beat anyone across the ring from me.”

Sims (20-2-1, 7 KOs) has won seven consecutive fights and, with the victory over Akhmedov, is poised to begin testing himself against the best of a packed 140-pound division.

Sims, from Chicago, and his team have been in training camp in Las Vegas to prepare for Saturday’s bout with Valtierra (17-3, 9 KOs), which will be live-streamed on DAZN.

“I can’t wait to fight on DAZN,” Sims said. “I’m excited to have this platform to display my talents. I want a world title belt around my waist in the very near future, so I know I need to go in there Saturday and dominate to stay on course for that goal.”

The 22-year-old Valtierra, of Leon, Mexico, has won two of his last five fights. Most recently, he notched a fifth-round stoppage win over Ernesto Gutierrez Jalife last December.