Bam-Martinez 3-belt unification bout added to loaded Riyadh card
Rodriguez must first come through June 19 two-belt unification fight vs. Cafu; Beterbiev lashes out at Bivol over trilogy fight delay; Ortiz-Ennis talks planned; Quick hits; Show & tell
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Over the past several days, Turki Alalshikh has announced bouts one by one for what is shaping up as a loaded Riyadh Season card in November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, most recently adding what would be a three-belt junior bantamweight unification fight between Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Fernando “Puma” Martinez.
That bout is contingent on heavy favorite Rodriguez, the lineal and WBC champion, defeating WBO titleholder Phumelele Cafu in their unification bout on July 19 (DAZN) in Frisco, Texas.
With the main card complete, on Monday, Alalshikh unveiled the date and venue: Nov. 22 at ANB Arena. Alalshikh, who is the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, also told Fight Freaks Unite that the DAZN pay-per-view will be priced at $29.99 in the United States.
A press conference to formally announce “The Ring IV” card is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. ET at the Hard Rock Times Square in New York. It will be streamed on Ring magazine’s social media channels.
The stakes for Rodriguez were already high against Cafu but now he knows he will have the fight against WBA titlist Martinez that he has wanted.
