Top Rank Presents Junior Middleweight World Championship: Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia

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Top Rank Presents Junior Middleweight World Championship: Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia

Saturday, July 26, Live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+

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Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Zayas vs. Garcia will be presented live this Saturday, July 26, at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+. The event takes place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Unbeaten Puerto Rican phenom Xander Zayas will take on upset-minded Mexican contender Jorge Garcia for the vacant WBO junior middleweight world championship.

Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) is an undefeated rising star who turned professional at age 17 and quickly climbed the ranks. He captured the NABO title in 2022 and has since successfully defended it seven times, including recent victories over Damian Sosa and former world champion Patrick Teixeira. Zayas began his 2025 campaign with a dominant ninth-round TKO over Germany’s Slawa Spomer.

Garcia (33-4, 26 KOs) enters Saturday’s title tilt on an eight-fight winning streak that commenced with a seventh-round knockout of previously undefeated Hector Andres Reyes in June 2023. Garcia has collected victories abroad, including knockouts in the Dominican Republic and South Africa. In April, he handed previously unbeaten U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell his first loss via split decision, earning a No. 2 WBO ranking.

In the co-feature, Brooklyn native Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and unbeaten Namibian Mateus Heita will collide for the WBC interim featherweight world title.

Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) has emerged as a dominant force in the featherweight division, earning the No. 1 ranking from both the WBC and WBO. In 2024, he delivered a standout year with four consecutive wins, including a highlight-reel knockout of Bernard Torres, a commanding decision over Dana Coolwell, and a statement-making knockout of Brayan De Gracia. Carrington last fought in March, thrilling fans with a third-round stoppage over Jose Enrique Vivas.

Heita (14-0, 9 KOs), a rising featherweight from Namibia, has built an impressive undefeated record since turning pro in 2018. He claimed the WBO Africa featherweight title with a fifth-round TKO of Tatenda Biningu and defended that strap in April with a 12-round unanimous decision over South Africa’s Abdulaziz Kunert.

In the eight-round televised opener, Mexican American prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas returns against Ecuador’s Alexander Espinoza in a junior welterweight showdown.

The action-packed undercard begins at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT on ESPN+.

Joe Tessitore, Timothy Bradley, Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna will call the action.

ESPN.com

Out Thursday, July 24: By the numbers: Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia and Bruce Carrington vs. Mateus Heita. Using CompuBox and ESPN research data, we preview both title fights. Plus, Ian Parker adds best bets for the card.

Original Programming:  

ESPN Original Series “The Fight Life” returns for Season 2, chronicling a year in the world of Top Rank through the journeys of six of boxing’s brightest stars: Keyshawn Davis, Mikaela Mayer, Jared Anderson, Jaime Munguia, Abdullah Mason & Emiliano Vargas.

Check out all of season one now on ESPN+, featuring Tyson Fury, Naoya Inoue, Seniesa Estrada, Teofimo Lopez and Josh Taylor.

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 Zayas vs. Garcia (All Times ET)

Date Time Event Fights Title (s) Platform
Thu., July 24 2 p.m. Main Card Press Conference  

 

ESPN+

Fri., July 25 1 p.m. Weigh-in  

Sat., July 26 9 p.m.

 

Main Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia (Vacant) WBO Jr. Middleweight ESPN, ESPN Deportes,

ESPN+(simulcast)

 

Co-Feature Bruce Carrington vs. Mateus Heita (Interim) WBC Featherweight
Undercard Emiliano Fernando Vargas vs. Alexander Espinoza  
6 p.m. Feature Rohan Polanco vs. Quinton Randall ESPN+
Undercard Juanmita Lopez De Jesus vs. Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez
Undercard Yan Santana vs. Aaron Alameda
Undercard Steven Navarro vs. Cristopher Rios
Undercard Julius Ballo vs. Brandan Ayala

 

Ardi Dwornik

I oversee all facets of ESPN’s corporate communications for Tennis and Combat Sports.
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