WBO strawweight titleholder Oscar Collazo is preparing for one of the biggest unification bouts in recent strawweight history as he faces WBA titleholder Thammanoon Niyomtrong, better known as Knockout CP Freshmart.
The 27-year-old Puerto Rican Collazo will take on the 34-year-old Thai fighter Niyomtrong on “Latino Night” No. 16, part of the Riyadh Season at The Venue in Riyadh.
Collazo (10-0, 7 KOs) has emerged as a rising star in a division often overlooked by the wider boxing audience. Now, with a unification bout on a prominent stage, he’s eager to prove his place among boxing’s elite and establish himself as the face of Puerto Rican boxing.
“You got to give me one of my dreams — to be the unified champion,” Collazo said at the press conference. “And we’re going to get it. I dreamed about this day, I talk to God every day to give me this opportunity to shine bright.”
Collazo’s last outing in June saw him go the distance with Gerardo Zapata during Hall of Fame weekend, ending his four-fight knockout streak. Still, Collazo secured a dominant unanimous decision to extend his undefeated record. Collazo won the WBO title a year prior, stopping Melvin Jerusalem in the seventh round.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs), who has reigned as the WBA champion since 2016, defended his title for the 12th time in September with a majority decision win over Australia’s Alex Winwood. That bout was Niyomtrong’s first in over two years, as he had been inactive since 2021.
“Everybody doesn’t see us minimum weights, but now I’ve got the chance to show everybody my talents, my courage, how disciplined I am,” Collazo said.
Collazo is currently one of only two boxing titleholders from Puerto Rico, the other being Amanda Serrano, one of the greatest women’s boxers of all time. Collazo emphasized his desire to carry the mantle for Puerto Rican boxing, saying he hopes to “show the whole world I’m the face of boxing in Puerto Rico.”
