Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, will host a secondary title fight this Saturday, February 21st, as Noel Reyes and Víctor Santillán collide in an all-Dominican showdown for the WBA interim super bantamweight title. The WBA, like the entire world, recognizes Naoya Inoue as the world champion in this weight class, and Inoue is not going to fight the winner of Reyes-Santillan, but this is an important fight nonetheless that could see the winner elevated to champion status should Inoue move up or vacate. At age 39, Reyes Cepeda (19-4, 15 KOs) stands at the defining moment of his career. The La Vega native has enjoyed a late-career resurgence over the past two years, stacking up  wins over well-known but faded competitors. His calling card is power—backed by an imposing knockout ratio that makes him especially dangerous in the early frames. For Reyes, this represents the chance to crown a lifetime of work with his first world title.

 

Santillán (15-2, 6 KOs), meanwhile, embodies the new guard. The La Romana native is known for polished technique and fluid footwork that tends to frustrate heavy-handed opponents. He’s no stranger to big stages, having lost to Sho Ishida and Tenshin Nasukawa in Japan. Built on volume punching and tactical intelligence, Santillán’s style is designed to defuse power and bank rounds. 

Stylistically, it’s the classic puncher-versus-boxer matchup. Reyes will look to impose his strength from the opening bell, hunting for damage early. Santillán’s path likely runs through discipline and distance, stretching the fight into the later rounds and trusting his craft to sway the scorecards.