Fight Week: Edgar Berlanga to face Padraig McCrory; 3 title fights featured on Tokyo card

FIGHT WEEK

Edgar Berlanga will face fellow unbeaten contender Padraig McCrory on Saturday in Orlando, Florida. On the same day, in Tokyo, Alexandro Santiago vs. Junto Nakatani highlights a stacked card.

EDGAR BERLANGA (21-0, 16 KOs)
VS. PADRAIG MCCRORY (18-0, 9 KOs)

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 24
• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
• Where: Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando, Florida
• TV/Stream: DAZN
• Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
• At stake: No major titles
• Pound-for-pound: None
• Odds: Berlanga 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
• Significance (up to five stars): ***
• Also on the card: Andy Cruz vs. Brayan Zamarripa, lightweights; Shakhram Giyasov vs. Pablo Cesar Cano, welterweights; Antonio Vargas vs. Jonathan Rodriguez, bantamweights; Yankiel Rivera vs. Andy Dominguez, flyweights
• Background: Berlanga continues on his path toward showdowns with the biggest names at 168 pounds. The New York slugger’s days of early knockouts are behind him but he has continued to win, claiming decision victories in his last five fights. He last fought in June, when he struggled with the movement of Jason Quigley but put the Irishman down four times to win a unanimous decision. That was his only fight last year. He is among those targeting undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez but has also expressed interest in fighting fellow unbeaten contender Jaime Munguia and veteran Gabriel Rosado. He’s ranked in the Top 11 by all four major sanctioning bodies, as high as No. 5 by the WBO. McCrory is a 35-year-old contender from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He’s unbeaten but is taking a significant step up in opposition on Saturday, which is why he’s a significant underdog. McCrory is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Steed Woodall last August in Belfast. He’s ranked No. 3 by the WBA – ahead of No. 8 Berlanga – and No. 13 by the IBF.

ALEXANDRO SANTIAGO (28-3-5, 14 KOs)
VS. JUNTO NAKATANI (26-0, 19 KOs)

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 24
• Time: 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
• Where: Kokugikan Arena, Tokyo
• TV/Stream: ESPN+
• Division: Bantamweight (118 pounds)
• At stake: Santiago’s WBC title
• Pound-for-pound: None
• Odds: Nakatani 6-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
• Significance (up to five stars): ****
• Also on the card: Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas, bantamweights (for Inoue’s WBA title); Kosei Tanaka vs. Christian Bacasegua, junior bantamweights (for vacant WBO title)
• Background: Santiago vs. Nakatani highlights a card featuring three major titles fights. Santiago made a splash last July, when he upset future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire by winning a unanimous decision and the vacant WBC 118-pound title. The 28-year-old Mexican is 4-0 since he lost a close (disputed?) decision to unbeaten Gary Antonio Russell in November 2021. Nakatani, who had an impressive run a 112- and 115 pounds, will fight for a major title in his first fight as a 118-pounder. The 26-year-old southpaw from Japan is a considerable favorite over Santiago because of his combination of ability, power and strong resume. He’s coming off a one-sided decision over Argi Cortes in the only defense of his WBO 115-pound title, his latest success against elite opposition. He’s 6-0 (4 KOs) against current or former word titleholders. Inoue (18-1, 4 KOs) will be making the first defense of his WBA belt against Ancajas (34-3-2, 23 KOs). The brother of Naoya Inoue is 5-0 since he lost a decision to Nordine Oubaali in 2019. Ancajas bounced back from back-to-back losses to Fernando Martinez by stopping Wilner Soto in five rounds last June. Tanaka (19-1, 11 KOs) will be trying to win a major title in a fourth division. He has won four straight fights since he was stopped by Kazuto Ioka in 2020. Bacasegua (22-4-2, 9 KOs) is fighting for a major title for the first time. He has never fought outside his native Mexico.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

• Ardreal Holmes Jr. vs. Marlon Harrington, junior middleweights, Detroit (DAZN)

FRIDAY

• Gor Yeritsyan vs. Quinton Randall, welterweights, Santa Ynez, California (UFC Fight Pass)
• Wendy Toussaint vs. Mpondu Kalunga, junior middleweights, Huntington, New York (StarBoxing.TV)

SATURDAY

• Josue Francisco Aguero vs. Francisco Javier Lucero, junior lightweights, Buenos Aires, Argentina (TyC Sports)