“We had our setbacks on the way here, circumstances beyond our control,” Navarrete said. “But we’re excited to be here and for all our beautiful fans to have their voices heard. Nothing left to be said, just looking forward to an all-Mexican war.”
At the weigh-in on Friday, there were no issues. Navarrete came in at a lean 129.2 pounds. IBF titleholder Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez was 129.8. Both made the 130-pound limit comfortably, a relief for Navarrete after past scale trouble in the Phoenix area.
DAZN will stream their 12-round unification bout Saturday night from Desert Diamond Arena.
For Navarrete, 39-2-1 with 32 knockouts, the venue holds history. He began this 130-pound title run there in February 2023, climbing off the canvas to stop Liam Wilson in the ninth round of a wild fight. It remains the only knockdown of his career, and it ended with him pressing forward until Wilson folded.
He later beat Oscar Valdez by unanimous decision in the same building and stopped him in six rounds in their 2024 rematch in downtown Phoenix. His only appearance in 2025 ended messily, a technical decision win over Charly Suarez that was later overturned to a no-contest by the California State Athletic Commission. The WBO has ordered a mandatory defense against Suarez for the winner.
Nunez, 30-1 with 28 knockouts, arrives with his own proof of growth. After a run of 18 straight stoppages, he was forced to go 12 rounds to win the IBF title from Masanori Rikiishi in Japan and then repeat the distance in a defense against Christopher Diaz in Mexico. The power remains, but so does the patience.
“Navarrete is a very difficult style to face,” Nunez said. “We believe we replicated that style in sparring. One thing we all know, with Emanuel Navarrete, you can always expect a war. He’s been a great champion for a long, long time. But we’re ready to write our own history.”
This is the first unification fight for both men. It is also a style collision between Navarrete’s volume and awkward angles and Nunez’s shorter, heavier bursts. One of them leaves with two belts and a mandatory waiting. The other goes back to rebuilding in a division that does not forgive hesitation.
Undercard weigh-in results:
Junior welterweight – Emiliano Vargas 139.8, Agustin Quintana 139.6
Welterweight – Tahmir Smalls 147.0, Abel Ramos 146.2
Junior featherweight – Arturo Cardenas 122.0, Jordan Martinez 121.8
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