Emanuel Navarrete makes his first ring appearance of 2025 when he faces Charly Suarez at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, CA on May 10. Battling it out in the main event, the champion from Mexico puts his WBO super featherweight title on the line.
Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) makes his fourth defense of the belt that he claimed in a hard-fought bout against Liam Wilson in Glendale, AZ in February 2023. The 30-year-old suffered a knockdown in the fourth round, had to pick himself up, and beat the eight count.
The native of San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico bounced back, sending the tough Australian contender to the canvas with a right hand in the ninth round on his way to victory by TKO. Referee Chris Flores stepped in and waved the fight off at 1:57 into the round, following Navarrete’s series of unanswered punches, to save his opponent from further punishment.
At the time of the stoppage, Navarrete was leading on the judges’ scorecards that read 76-75, 77-74, and 77-74. With the victory, he landed a world title in his third weight class.
Stepping through the ropes on Saturday in San Diego, three-division champion Emanuel Navarrete is opposed by unbeaten Charly Suarez (17-0, 9 KOs). The 36-year-old contender from the Philippines makes his first attempt to become champion after stopping Jorge Castaneda in the third round last September.