Randy Caballero to make first bantamweight title defense in his hometown
After winning the IBF’s vacant bantamweight title over Stuart Hall in October in Monte Carlo, Randy Caballero will make his first defense against two-time title challenger Alberto Guevara in front of the fans who know him best.
Caballero (22-0, 13 knockouts), 24, will fight Guevara (18-2, 6 KOs) on Feb. 27 at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, Caballero’s birthplace.
Announced on Monday by Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, the event will be televised by FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes and will mark the 13th appearance for Caballero at Fantasy Springs Casino.
“This is a night I’ve dreamed about for a long time,” said Caballero, who is 12-0 with five knockouts at Fantasy Springs. “I always said that the only thing better than winning a world title at home would be defending it there. I’m going to be tough and impress my fans at Fantasy Springs.”
In his last appearance at Fantasy Springs in July 2013, Caballero stopped Miguel Robles in the seventh round.
“The fans at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino have watched Randy Caballero grow up as a fighter. So after he won a world title, our first order of business was bringing his first title defense back here,” said De La Hoya.
“It’s going to be a great night and a celebration of an exciting young champion. But Alberto Guevara knows what it’s going to take to beat Caballero and he’s going to give everything he has to take the title.”
A 24-year-old from Sinaloa, Mexico, Guevara is 2-2 over the course of his past four fights and was last in the ring for a ninth-round stoppage loss to undefeated RING No. 1-rated WBC tltleholder Shinsuke Yamanaka in November 2013.
Guevara’s other loss was by unanimous decision to then-IBF 118-pounder Leo Santa Cruz, currently THE RING’s No. 2-rated junior featherweight, in December 2012.
“Randy Caballero is a good, young champion and he’s fighting in his backyard,” said Guevara, “but I feel like this is my time. I like being the underdog and that will make my victory sweeter on Feb. 27.”
Note: Quotes from a release.