Oscar Duarte’s next fight won’t be for a world title, but at least he’s landed another prominent spot on a pay-per-view.
Duarte, 30-2-1 (23 KOs), was supposed to challenge IBF junior welterweight titleholder Richardson Hitchins on the January 31 undercard of the Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia PPV. But Hitchins became ill on the day of the bout and pulled out.
Hitchins is now moving on to mandatory challenger Lindolfo Delgado, as required by the IBF. Duarte would have been allowed as a voluntary defense, and that is no longer the case.
But now Duarte will be spotlighted on the May 2 PPV featuring Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defending his two cruiserweight world titles against light heavyweight beltholder David Benavidez. Duarte will face Angel Fierro, 23-4-2 (18 KOs), in this show at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“I’m happy for this opportunity, fighting on the main card, big card, Zurdo-Benavidez. I’m very excited and very motivated to win this fight,” Duarte told BoxingScene’s Lance Pugmire. “I want the world title. I want the big fights. I’m ready for big fights. Angel Fierro is a good fighter. He’s a Mexican warrior. Me, too. I’m a Mexican warrior. This May 2, it’s a war in the ring.”
Fierro lost a competitive firefight with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in February 2025; pulled out of a July rematch days beforehand due to reported difficulties from making weight; and got disqualified for kicking a 15-6-2 foe in October.
“We’re ready to return to Las Vegas and deliver a great fight and a surprise, just like we do every time we step into the ring,” Fierro said in a press release. “I want to make a statement that I’m still among the elite. I have a lot of respect for Oscar Duarte. We’ve trained in the same gym before, so I know this fight is going to be explosive.”
Other undercard fights announced for the PPV include a super middleweight title bout in the co-feature, with Jose Armando Resendiz, 16-2 (11 KOs), defending his WBA belt against Jaime Munguia, 45-2 (35 KOs).
Also on this show, junior welterweight Isaac Lucero, 18-0 (14 KOs), will take on Alan Sandoval Gutierrez, 30-0-1 (19 KOs). And according to a press release, another undercard bout will soon be announced.
The pay-per-view will be available for purchase via Amazon’s Prime Video for both subscribers and non-subscribers, as well as via DAZN and traditional cable and satellite providers.
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
