The Premier Boxing Champions' May 4th pay-per-view broadcast will have as its chief supporting bout a twelve-round bout featuring Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs) making the first defense of his interim WBC welterweight title against Argentina’s Fabián “TNT” Maidana, the younger brother of former champion Marcos Maidana. The previously announced main event for the show will be world super middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. former 154-pound title holder Jaime Munguia. Barrios is a former regular WBA champion at 140 pounds whoearned a career-best victory in his last outing by dropping Yordenis Ugas twice last September on his way to a unanimous decision in the welterweight division. The 28-year old hails from San Antonio, Texas and now trains in Las Vegas under the guidance of trainer Bob Santos. He his WBA secondary belt in September 2019, using his aggressive style to edge out Batyr Akhmedov and earn a unanimous decision. Barrios lost the title in another action packed bout, as he was defeated by Gervonta Davis in June 2021.
“I’m thrilled to be back in the ring for the co-main event of the biggest Mexican fight in history and during Cinco de Mayo weekend,” said Barrios. “Fabián Maidana is a tough warrior like me, so the fans are definitely in for an exciting fight. Defending my title is priority number one, and I’m going to do it with intelligence and bad intentions. Everyone knows that when I step into the ring, I leave it all in there. This will be no different. On May 4, the fans can expect a Mexico vs. Argentina war.”
The 31-year-old Maidana (22-2, 16 KOs) enters this fight on a four-bout winning streak, including three 2023 triumphs highlighted by a unanimous decision victory over Israel Lopez in November. A native of Margarita, Santa Fe, Argentina, Maidana hopes to follow in the footsteps of his older brother and former 140-pound champion Marcos. He’s fought professionally since 2014, following up a strong amateur career by winning his first 16 pro fights. He will return to fight stateside for the first time since 2019, after spending much of his early career fighting in the U.S., including a 2018 knockout of former title challenger Andrey Klimov.
“I’m very happy to be fighting on this card against a great champion like Mario Barrios,” said Maidana. “We come to win and give our best to the mecca of boxing, Las Vegas. The world knows my brother beat Floyd Mayweather on Cinco de Mayo, and I plan to do the same against Barrios. I’m fighting for my people in Argentina, and I’m coming to win.”
ALSO ON THE SHOW
The May 4th pay-per-view lineup will feature the return of former champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa (pictured) defending his interim WBC featherweight title in a twelve-round bout against the former 122-pound champion Jessie Magdaleno. The 27 year-old Figueroa (24-1-1, 18 KOs) picked up his interim title in his last bout, beating former champion Mark Magsayo via unanimous decision in a Fight of the Year candidate in March 2023. It was his second fight since a 2021 Fight of the Year against Stephen Fulton Jr., which ended in a majority decision loss for Figueroa. A native of Weslaco, Texas, Figueroa’s relentless pressure and youthful enthusiasm helped him become the first person to defeat former division champion Luis Nery in their championship clash prior to the Fulton fight. Figueroa added to his family’s legacy by capturing the WBC 122-pound world title against Nery, joining his brother Omar Figueroa Jr., who previously held the WBC lightweight championship.
“I’ve been staying ready, just patiently waiting for my opportunity, and now I can’t wait to get back in the ring on May 4th,” said Figueroa. “Magdaleno is a great fighter and he’s a former world champion for a reason. I know I have to be at my best. I’m just hungry to get back into the ring and keep boxing exciting with my fights and my fighting style.”
A Las Vegas native, Magdaleno (29-2, 18 KOs) will look to rebound from a decision defeat in his last fight against current featherweight titlist Raymond Ford in April 2023. Prior to the defeat, Magdaleno had put together four straight victories since moving up to featherweight in 2019. The 32-year old became a champion in 2016 with a unanimous decision victory over future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire, and successfully defended the title with a 2017 knockout of Adeilson Dos Santos. Magdaleno also comes from a boxing family, as his older brother Diego was a longtime contender, while his younger brother Marco also fought professionally.
“This fight is everything for me,” said Magdaleno. “There are people who think I’m an underdog against Figueroa. But I’d remind those people of one thing…I was an underdog when I became world champion for the first time, and I’m ready to do it again. On May 4 you will hear ‘and the new!’”
