An undisputed female minimumweight champion will be crowned when WBO and IBF titlist Yokasta Valle takes on WBC and WBA beltholder Seniesa Estrada on March 29 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The matchup between Valle (30-2, 9 KOs) and Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs) is a highly palatable one, deserving of a headline slot on its own show. Instead, the bout will serve as chief support to the ESPN card headlined by a super featherweight scrap between Oscar Valdez and Liam Wilson.
“The fight has been in the making for years, and this is the best time to happen – now,” Valle told Boxing Scene. “This is going to be a big fight for women’s boxing and for women’s boxing to keep growing.
“We deserved to be in the main event, but it’s OK. I’m moving forward and not complaining, just working. After they see this fight, people will say, ‘Yes, it should have been a main event.’ That’s what I have been doing all of my life – proving people wrong. We’re going to steal the night.”
Golden Boy’s Valle and Top Rank’s Estrada have been on a collision course in recent years, after each picking up their share of titles.
Valle, 31, born in Nicaragua but now a Costa Rican national, rebounded from back-to-back unanimous decision losses in 2017 and 2018, winning the IBF title she now holds in 2019 by beating Joana Pastrana via split decision, and the WBO belt in 2022 by beating Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen via unanimous decision.
Estrada, a 31-year-old from East Los Angeles, was a flyweight titleholder but in 2021 stepped down a division to defeat Anabel Ortiz and land the 105-pound WBA title. Estrada beat Tina Rupprecht in March via unanimous decision for the WBC title.
“She’s an amazing fighter, but she definitely has problems with pressure, and I’m going to put a lot of pressure on her,” Valle said. “They are going to see the best version of me.
“Nobody is unbeatable. I have the experience on my side. I’ve fought in Germany, Spain and Japan, and I’m a seasoned fighter who’s not afraid of her. Most of the opponents she’s had are afraid of her. I’m not.”
Valle is currently in camp training with Coach G [Gloria Alvarado] out of Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California. In her last fight, in November, Valle scored a unanimous decision against Ortiz, a former Estrada foe. Estrada is coming off a March unanimous decision win against Leonela Paola Yudica.