Jose Pedraza vs. Mikkel LesPierre ready for takeoff again
Jose Pedraza vs. Mikkel LesPierre, Take 2.
The fight was scheduled to take place on June 18 inside the bubble at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas but it was canceled after LesPierre’s manager tested positive for COVID-19, leaving both fighters disappointed.
The boxers quickly agreed to reschedule for Thursday (July 2). The fight will be the main event on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
“Mikkel and Jose deserve this opportunity, and I commend both camps for agreeing to reschedule this fight on short notice,” promoter Bob Arum said when the fight was rescheduled.
Pedraza on Wednesday weighed in at 143.9 pounds, Les Pierre 143.5.
Jose Pedraza (left) and Mikkel LesPierre will do battle on Thursday in Las Vegas. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
Pedraza (26-3, 13 KOs) is a former two-division titleholder. He outpointed Ray Beltran to win a lightweight title in August 2018 but lost it to Vasiliy Lomachenko by a wide decision in his first defense.
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican is coming off a unanimous-decision loss to Jose Zepeda in September.
LesPierre (22-1-1, 10 KOs) lost a one-sided decision to then-junior welterweight champ Maurice Hooker in March of last year, his only title shot. He bounced back to outpoint Roody Pierre Paul in December.
LesPierre is from Trinidad and Tobago but lives in Brooklyn.
In the co-feature, a six-round featherweight bout, Robeisy Ramirez (3-1, 3 KOs), the two-time Olympic champion from Cuba, will seek to avenge his stunning split-decision loss to Adan Gonzalez (5-2-2, 2 KOs) in Ramirez’s pro debut.
Ramirez weighed 125.1, Gonzalez 125.4.
The weights of the other fighters are: Albert Bell (133) vs. Mark Bernaldez (132), 10 rounds; Carlos Jackson (125.1) vs. Jose Vivas (125.9), 10 rounds; Elvis Rodriguez (140.2) vs. Dan Murray (139.2), six rounds; and Patrick Mailata (284) vs. Kingsley Ibeh (284.1), six rounds.