GLENDALE, Ariz. – Emanuel Navarrete saved his pre-fight drama for the extraordinary journey just to arrive into town.
The three-division and reigning WBO 130lbs titlist Navarrete did not have any issues at the scale on Friday, a welcome change of pace from his previous appearances in the Greater Phoenix area. Navarrete, 39-2-1 (32 KOs), weighed a slim and fit 129.2lbs ahead of his highly anticipated unification clash with countryman and IBF belt holder Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez, who weighed 129.8lbs.
DAZN will air their scheduled 12-round showdown atop a four-fight telecast Saturday, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. local time here from Desert Diamond Arena.
A pre-fight scare came when Navarrete hadn’t yet arrived on site ahead of Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference. A 31-year-old from San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico, Navarrete managed to misplace his passport and had to book an emergency trip to his local embassy for the proper documentation to enter the US.
Navarrete boarded a private jet and touched down at a local airport late Thursday evening.
“We had our setbacks on the way here, circumstances beyond our control,” noted Navarrete. “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.”
He is now set to attempt the fifth defense of a title reign that began at this very venue with a ninth-round knockout of Liam Wilson in February 2023. The bout saw Navarrete suffer his lone career knockdown before he stormed back to put away the Aussie slugger in their thriller.
Wilson was a replacement for Oscar Valdez, who wasn’t fully healed from previously suffered injuries in time to proceed with the date. Navarrete and Valdez met for the first of two times later that August, also at Desert Diamond Arena, where Navarrete earned a competitive but clear unanimous decision victory.
The two met again in a December 2024 rematch at nearby Footprint Center (now Mortgage Matchup Center) in Phoenix, where Navarrete stopped his countryman in six rounds.
Navarrete fought just once in 2025, and it ended in controversy. He was initially awarded a technical decision win over Charly Suarez last May 10 in San Diego. The outcome was neutralized and changed to a no-contest upon further review by the California State Athletic Commission.
Saturday’s winner must next face Suarez in a WBO mandatory title defense.
Nunez, 30-1 (28 KOs), will attempt his second IBF 130lbs title defense. The 28-year-old knockout artist from Los Mochis claimed the belt in a 12-round unanimous decision over Masanori Rikiishi last May 28 in Yokohama, Japan.
The bout marked Nunez’s first time being extended the distance in a win, a feat he was forced to replicate in a September 6 decision win over Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz at home in Los Mochis.
Prior to the two title fights, Nunez scored 18 consecutive knockouts, including his 11th-round stoppage of former titlist Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in their February 2024 unification clash.
Saturday will mark the first unification bout for both boxers.
“Navarrete is a very difficult style to face,” Nunez confessed of his fellow titleholder from Mexico. “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.”
Main card weigh-in results are as follows:
Junior lightweight – 12 rounds (WBO/IBF 130lbs unification)
Emanuel Navarrete (229.2lbs) vs Eduardo Nunez (129.2lbs)
Junior welterweight – 10 rounds
Emiliano Vargas (139.8lbs) vs Agustin Quintana (139.6lbs)
Welterweight – 10 rounds
Tahmir Smalls (147.0lbs) vs Abel Ramos (146.2lbs)
Junior featherweight – 10 rounds
Arturo Cardenas (122.0lbs) vs Jordan Martinez (121.8lbs)
