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Terry Flanagan-Felix Verdejo lightweight title fight in works

Photo by: Naoki Fukuda
Fighters Network
27
Jun

Felix Verdejo may not be ready for it, but his first title opportunity is forthcoming.

The Puerto Rican prospect is the mandatory challenger to WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan, and both Verdejo promoter Top Rank and Frank Warren, who promotes the Brit, have been in talks, a source told RingTV.com. The working date for the fight is September 16 in London, but the fight likely wouldn’t be televised on ESPN as part of the Top Rank series.

Flanagan (33-0, 13 knockouts) made the fifth successful defense of his 135-pound title with a lopsided decision over Petr Petrov in April. The 28-year-old southpaw previously scored title wins over Mzonke Fana, Diego Magdaleno, Orlando Cruz, Derry Mathews and Jose Zepeda.

Verdejo (23-0, 15 KOs) is one of Top Rank’s best prospects, a 24-year-old with a megawatt smile who already has proven to be a ticket-seller in New York, and certainly in Puerto Rico. How ready he is for a title shot is another matter.



He’s feasted on lower-level opposition, and he’s fought only once since suffering a serious dirt bike accident last year.

If all goes according to plan, though, it will be sink or swim time for Verdejo, and it’s coming overseas, no less.

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