Hard-hitting welterweight prospect Raul Curiel will face Courtney Pennington on September 7, Golden Boy Promotions announced Monday. The 10-round bout will take place at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California, and will stream live on DAZN.

“I am thankful to Golden Boy for scheduling me as the main event,” said Curiel. “I’ll be able to showcase my talent against Courtney Pennington, who I know is tough. I work very hard and I want to challenge the best in the 147-pound division, and I will not be denied.”

Curiel (12-0, 10 knockouts), who resides in the boxing hotbed of Guadalajara, Mexico, last fought on December 17, knocking out former fringe contender Brad Solomon in the second round. In his previous fight in December 2021, Curiel scored a seventh-round knockout win over Kendo Castaneda. 

The 27-year-old has stopped his last seven opponents. 

Prior to making his pro debut in May 2017, Curiel represented Mexico at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He has fought under the Golden Boy Promotions banner throughout his entire pro career.

Pennington (17-6-3, 7 KOs) defeated James Martin by split decision in his last bout on May 20. In his previous fight on December 10, Martin was stopped by fringe contender James Metcalf after the sixth round.

The 36-year-old, who resides in Brooklyn, New York, has split his last two fights. 

In the co-feature, junior featherweight Manuel Flores (15-1, 11 KOs) of nearby Coachella will fight against an opponent to be determined in a 10-round bout. In his last bout on June 8, which also took place at Fantasy Springs in Indio, Flores lost by unanimous decision to Walter Santibanes. 

Also on the Golden Boy card will be a six-round junior middleweight bout featuring Grant Flores (2-0, 2 KOs), who also resides in California’s Coachella Valley. Flores is the younger cousin of Manuel Flores. 

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at [email protected]

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