Courtesy: ESPN
Lightweights lead the way on the March 7th edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra.
Up-and-coming Lightweight contender Rustam Nugaev (26 – 6, 16 KOs) will take on former Lightweight world title challenger Marvin Quintero (25 – 4, 21 KOs) in the night’s ten-round main event. Tonight’s broadcast will come live from Pala Casino in Pala, California at 9pm ET on ESPN2. It can also be viewed online via WatchESPN and ESPN Deportes+. ESPN Deportes will re-broadcast tonight’s main event via tape delay Saturday, March 8th at 7pm.
Nugaev, comes into tonight’s main event on a hot streak. He won his last four fights via KO. And he claimed a first-round KO over Mario Hermasillo in his most recent fight. Nugaev’s last FNF appearance ended with a victory, too. He defeated Jose Hernandez with a KO in the fifth round of that fight. ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael wrote of Nugaev after the fight, “Nugaev is a fun fighter to watch. He’s an aggressive brawler who lets it all hang out when the bell rings, and it was no different in his methodical destruction of Hernandez, who gave it his all but was simply outgunned. It was a good action fight.” Quintero will be hungry for a win as he enters the ring tonight. His most recent fight, a twelve-round fight against IBF titlist Miguel Vasquez, resulted in a split decision loss to Vasquez. Quintero was grounded in his thoughts on tonight’s main event. He said of facing Nugaev, “I think the Russian (Nugaev) is strong, a brawler. He has a pretty good reach and huge experience.”
Along with tonight’s main event, audiences will also be treated to a an eight-round co-feature that will see undefeated Bantamweight Roman Morales (17 – 0, 9 KOs) taking on Khabir Suleymanov (16 – 3, 6 KOs). Morales, from California, looks to add another notch to his win column tonight. That match, in which he faced Roberto Castaneda, resulted in a ten-round unanimous decision for Morales. Suleymanov also is hoping to extend his win streak tonight. He defeated Juanito Rubillar courtesy of an eighth-round unanimous decision in his most recent fight.
Opening the night’s card will be a six-round fight between undefeated Welterweight Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (19 – 0, 10 KOs) taking on Michael Balasi (10 – 3, 7 KOs).
Bernardo Osuna will fill in for Joe Tessitore tonight. He will be ringside with Tessitore’s regular ringside co-host Teddy Atlas for ESPN2. Todd Grisham will be live in studio with all of the latest boxing news and highlights. Leopoldo Gonzales fills in for Delvin Rodriguez on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes+. He will be ringside with Pablo Viruega for all of the action. Claudia Trejos will be live in studio and will be joined by special guest, Cuban comedian Bonco Quinongo. Quinongo has appeared previously as a special guest on ESPN Deportes radio to discuss boxing with Trejos.
The latest ESPN FNF schedule is available below.
Upcoming Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Main Event | Location | Networks |
| Fri, Mar. 21 | 9 p.m. | Vanes Martirosyan (33-1-1, 21 KOs) vs. Mario Alberto Lozano (27-4, 20 KOs) — 10 rounds, Junior Middleweights | Morongo Casino, Cabazon, Calif. | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN |
| Fri, Mar. 28 | 9 p.m. | Boxcino Lightweight Semifinals: eight rounds each
Chris Rudd (13-1, 8 KOs) vs. Petr Petrov (33-4-2, 14 KOs) Miguel González (23-3, 16 KOs) vs. Fernando Carcamo (16-5, 13 KOs) |
4 Bears Casino, New Town, N.D. |
ESPN, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN |
| Fri, Apr. 18 | 9 p.m. | Boxcino Middleweight Semifinals: eight rounds each Brandon Adams (13-0, 9 KOs) vs. Raymond Gatica (14-2, 9 KOs) Willie Monroe Jr. (16-1, 6 KOs) vs. Vitalii Kopylenko (22-0, 12 KOs) |
Turning Stone Casino, Verona, N.Y. | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN |
More information on FNF and Noche de Combates is available online at http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf, http://twitter.com/ESPNFNF, http://twitter.com/espnboxeo and http://twitter.com/espnboxing. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://philspicks.wordpress.com.
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