Ricardo Sandoval has his next fight confirmed against Galal Yafai on June 6 at Utilita Arena Sheffield in Sheffield, England. The contest serves as the co-feature to Dalton Smith vs. Alberto Puello.
In January, unified WBA and WBC flyweight champion Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) was linked to a possible three-belt unification against WBO champion Anthony Olascuaga, but the fight did not materialize. Instead, the 27-year-old native of Montclair, California, makes the first defense of his belts against Olympic gold-medalist Yafai after dethroning Kenshiro Teraji by split decision last July.
British 33-year-old southpaw Yafai (9-0, 7 KOs, 1 NC), who has held the WBC interim flyweight belt, returns to action after facing Francisco Rodriguez Jr. last June. Rodriguez was initially awarded a decision victory on the night, which was later overturned to a no contest after he failed a drug test.
“Sandoval has built himself a reputation over the years as an underdog, fighting on the road,” Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said. “And Galal knows he will need to be at his very best to dethrone the Champion. But he is an elite, top operator and I truly believe that this is his time to rule the world, delivering on home soil.”
Headlining the event, unbeaten Sheffield native Dalton Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) makes the first defense of his WBC super lightweight title against former two-time champion Alberto Puello (24-1, 10 KOs) of the Dominican Republic.
Current Smith vs Puello fight card
- Dalton Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) vs. Alberto Puello (24-1, 10 KOs), Smith’s WBC super lightweight title
- Ricardo Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) vs. Galal Yafai (9-0, 7 KOs, 1 NC), Sandoval’s WBA and WBC flyweight titles
- Josh Padley (18-1, 6 KOs) vs. Aqib Fiaz (14-1, 2 KOs), Padley’s EBU European super featherweight title
- Ibrahim Nadim (16-1, 2 KOs) vs. Ibraheem Sulaimaan (10-0, 5 KOs), Nadim’s British super featherweight title
- Aaron Bowen (7-1, 5 KOs) vs. Troy Coleman (15-4-1, 7 KOs), middleweight
- Adam Maca (5-0, 5 KOs) vs. TBA, super featherweight
- Edward Hardy (6-0, 2 KOs) vs. TBA, featherweight
- Connor Mitchell (2-0, 1 KO) vs. TBA, featherweight
- Chris Mulunda (2-0, 0 KOs) vs. TBA, middleweight