Middleweight Jahi Tucker is no stranger to tough competition, consistently facing formidable opponents throughout his young career. In his last six bouts, Tucker (11-1-1, 5 KOs) has challenged fighters with a combined record of 70-10-2.
This Saturday, Tucker will face Santiago Fernandez (8-1-1, 4 KOs), a skilled fighter coming off a disputed split-decision loss in Quebec City, Canada.
The 21-year-old Tucker, from Deer Park, New York, has already shifted weight classes multiple times, debuting in welterweight before moving to junior middleweight, where he suffered his only defeat. Fernandez, 31, recently contested Alexandre Gaumont in Shawinigan, Quebec, narrowly losing according to fan scoring on BoxRec, suggesting a competitive matchup for Tucker’s 13th professional fight.
“I’ve studied his fights,” Tucker remarked at Thursday’s press conference. “He’s got nothing. This will be a clear domination.”
Notably, he has squared off against Nicklaus Flaz, who handed Tucker his first defeat, and fought to a draw with Francisco Veron, who now competes in the OTX Boxing junior middleweight tournament. Tucker also bested junior middleweight Nikoloz Sekhniashvili, a sparring partner of Xander Zayas.
“It’s about continuous growth and effort,” Tucker emphasized. “This fight represents another step forward, another win this year, and I’m prepared.”
Tucker, who rebounded from a loss and a draw with a victory over Quincy LaVallais in his middleweight debut, sees the upcoming bout as another opportunity to solidify his standing in the division.
“I am the best fighter in the world,” Tucker said. “This is going to be an example, I am going to have to just prove it.”
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
