The 122 lbs division has been a four-man race as of late, with Stephen Fulton holding the crown of the division, the other unified world champion MJ Akhmadaliev, the now 122 lbs contender moving up Naoya Inoue and Ra’eese Aleem.
The two fighters many feel just outside that bubble are now fighting in a WBC eliminator on February 18th, as former two-division world champion Luis Nery will face Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan at the Fox Theater Pomona and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST/ 8:00 p.m. EST.
“I am ready for the next challenge and prove yet again that I am the best, super bantamweight in the world,” said Nery. “Azat Hovhannisyan is an experienced and high-quality opponent, but the reality is that I’m ranked number 1 by the WBC and if I win this fight I will be ready to challenge Stephen Fulton or Murodjon Akhmadaliev so they can no longer avoid me. See you on February 18, Luis Nery is here for the long haul."
No word on the undercard.
“On February 18, you will see two hungry fighters who have been waiting for their chance at another opportunity to be at the top of their division,” said Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya. "You will see Hovhannisyan live up to his name as “Crazy A” and pull out all the stops against Nery in this title eliminator to get a step closer to becoming a world champion.”