Beltran To Face Pedraza For First Title Defense; Dogboe Also In Action On ESPN Aug 25

Lightweight champion Raymundo Beltran and Super Bantamweight champion Isaac Dogboe set for their first title defenses of their WBO titles Aug. 25 on ESPN

According to ESPN, WBO Lightweight champion Raymundo Beltran’s opponent for his first defense of his title will no longer be Russian contender Roman Andreev. Andreev’s manager recently advised Top Rank the fighter had to withdraw after undergoing surgery caused by an appendicitis attack.

Andreev’s misfortune cleared the way for former IBF Super Lightweight champion Jose Pedraza to step in as Beltran’s new opponent for the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card slated for August 25. The Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona will host the event.

Beltran was initially targeted as opponent for Vasiliy Lomachenko, but surgery to repair Lomachenko’s injured shoulder triggered the events that have led to Beltran-Pedraza. Now the winner of this bout would conceivably be in line to face the Top Three-ranked pound-for-pound Ukrainian upon his return.

Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti also informed ESPN that new WBO Super Bantamweight champion Isaac Dogboe will appear in the co-feature, facing Hidenori Otake for the first defense of his title. Fans quickly got to know a great deal about Ghana’s Dogboe after the 23-year old got up off the canvas in the first round against Jessie Magdaleno to stop the champion in the 11th round in a sensational bout back in April that aired live from Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center. Dogboe also dropped Magdaleno in the fifth round in a highly entertaining fight that garnered consideration for Fight of The Year.