New Jersey welterweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. will battle Rhode Island's Nicholas DeLomba in a ten-round matchup on Saturday, December 25th headlining Fox PBC Fight Night action at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features unbeaten Joey Spencer taking on Mexico’s Limberth Ponce over eight rounds of middleweight action. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.
“Vito Mielnicki Jr. has cultivated a growing and devoted fan base in his native New Jersey and he’ll look to give them all a Christmas Day gift with an electric performance against Nicholas DeLomba in his first headlining appearance on Fox,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Prudential Center will be hosting two of boxing’s brightest young up-and-comers, as Joey Spencer steps in for the co-main event against Limberth Ponce, making this a great night for boxing’s future stars to showcase their skills.”
Representing Roseland, New Jersey, Mielnicki (9-1, 6 KOs) makes his second straight appearance at Prudential Center, as he bounced back from his first career defeat to stop Noah Kidd in Newark in July. The 19 year-old began turning heads during an amateur career in which he compiled a 147-22 record and was named the Most Outstanding Boxer of the 2011 Junior National Golden Gloves. Mielnicki was able to add four victories to his ledger in 2020 and he kicked off his 2021 campaign with a knockout of Noe Lopez in February.
"I want to thank my whole team for giving me this great opportunity to headline Christmas Night at the Prudential Center live on Fox," said Mielnicki. "I’m excited to showcase my talent as the main event in front of my family, friends and fans in my home state of New Jersey. This is my toughest opponent to date. I expect the best version of Delomba on fight night. Everyone get your tickets and tune in because you don’t want to miss this one. Expect fireworks on Christmas Night!"
DeLomba (16-3, 5 KOs) put together a five-fight winning streak heading into his most recent bout, which saw him drop a decision to Richardson Hitchins in February 2020. The 31 year-old has fought professionally since 2013, turning pro after losing to Robert Easter Jr. in the 2012 U.S. National Championship quarterfinals. Fighting out of Cranston, Rhode Island, DeLomba won 11 of his first 12 pro fights before a 2017 decision defeat to Jimmy Williams.
“Vito is a good, young fighter and I’m impressed with what he’s done so far, but I have experience on my side,” said DeLomba. “I’ve faced some of the best fighters in the world, and I’ve never backed down from a challenge. This is a great spotlight for me to show what I’m all about. Make no mistake, I’m coming to win.”
The 21 year-old Spencer (12-0, 9 KOs) turned pro in February 2017 and immediately caught the eye of fans and pundits with his combination of speed, power and athleticism. The Linden, Michigan native opened 2021 with a first-round TKO over Isiah Seldon in January. Spencer continued his march toward title contention with a wide unanimous decision triumph over James Martin in July.
"I’m very excited to give the fans in New Jersey a great show on Christmas Day," said Spencer. "I’ve been preparing well and am excited to show what I can do against a durable opponent like Ponce. I can’t wait to be back in the ring on Fox to continue displaying everything I’ve been working on."
Born in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, Ponce (18-4, 11 KOs) fights out of Rock Island, Illinois throughout his pro career that dates back to 2012. The 30-year-old followed up a 2016 defeat to Neeco Macias with seven-straight wins before a 2019 split-decision loss to Thomas Hill. Ponce returned to the ring in June of this year to stop Chris Grays in three rounds.
“I know this will be a tough fight, but I’m going to be prepared for whatever my opponent brings on fight night,” said Ponce. “On December 25th, I’m leaving everything in the ring. I want to give the fans a great fight and make my mark with this performance.”
