A rising star, Xander Zayas looks to prove his value to Top Rank when he faces Jorge Garcia on July 26 for the vacant WBO super welterweight title. The fight headlines the last Top Rank card on ESPN+.
Bob Arum and Top Rank signed Zayas (21-0) when he was 16. After competing on multiple undercards, the 22-year-old has quickly risen up the ladder in boxing. It’s the fourth straight fight in Madison Square Garden for the Puerto Rican.
Slowly getting built up, Zayas is ready to finally hold onto gold and show he truly is the future of boxing.
“This is the exact path I always saw for myself when I first signed with Top Rank and turned pro,” Zayas told BoxingScene. “I always said, I wanted to have at least 20 fights under my belt before my first world title fight.
“This is now fight number 22, and at age 22. I just feel like all the stars are aligning.”
Garcia (33-4) beat Charles Cowell in April to secure a shot at gold. The Mexican fighter with 26 wins via knockout looks to halt Zayas’ momentum and secure gold after grinding for twelve years.
An interim title is on the line, top contenders look to move up in the rankings, while young prospects look to impress on the Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia undercard.
Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia undercard
Here’s a breakdown of all the action on the Zayas vs. Garcia card.
Bruce Carrington vs. Mateus Heita
- Division/Weight: Featherweight
- Carrington record: 15-0
- Heita record: 14-0
- Belts at stake: Interim WBC featherweight title
The co-feature will see Bruce Carrington vs. Mateus Heita for the interim WBC featherweight title.
Carrington (15-0), a former NABF featherweight champion, went 4-0 in 2024. “Shu Shu” impressed against Dana Coolwell when placed on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson undercard and won his last fight in March. The 28-year-old from Brooklyn has nine wins via knockout.
Heita (14-0) has nine wins via the power punch. “The Beast,” ranked eleventh in the WBC’s rankings, also looks to go 2-0 in 2025 while holding gold for the first time.
Emiliano Fernando Vargas vs. Alexander Espinoza
- Division/Weight: Super Lightweight
- Vargas record: 14-0
- Espinoza record: 20-3-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Emiliano Fernando Vargas faces Alexander Espinoza.
The son of former world champion Fernando Vargas, Emiliano (14-0) won over 100 amateur fights. The multi-time amateur champion, 21, won NABF gold in his last fight and looks to go 3-0 in 2025.
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Espinoza (20-3-1) is 2-2 in his last four fights. The Ecuadorian has nine wins via knockout.
Rohan Polanco vs. Quinton Randall
- Division/Weight: Welterweight
- Polanco record: 16-0
- Randall record: 15-2-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Rohan Polanco faces Quinton Randall.
A 2020 Olympian, Polanco (16-0) is ranked seventh by the WBO at welterweight. The 26-year-old won three fights in 2024 and competes in this third fight of 2025. A win could result in a few more fights before the year ends.
A multi-time National Champion, Randall (15-2-1) is 2-2 in his last four fights. He competes for the first time this year, looking to win three straight.
Yan Santana vs. Aaron Alameda
- Division/Weight: Featherweight
- Santana record: 12-0
- Alameda record: 30-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
Further down the card will be Yan Santana vs. Aaron Alameda.
A rising Dominican prospect, Santana (14-0) has won 12 fights via knockout. It’s only his third time competing in the United States.
Alameda (30-2) is on a five-fight win streak, winning four of those bouts via knockout. He competes twice in a year for the first time since 2021.
Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Gianmarco Cardillo
- Division/Weight: Heavyweight
- Jalolov record: 15-0
- Cardillo record: 12-1-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
Bakhodir Jalolov faces Gianmarco Cardillo.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist who won eight gold medals at the amateur level, Jalolov (15-0) has won all but one of his fights via knockout. The Uzbek competes twice in 2025 after not competing in 2024.
Cardillo (12-1-2) competes for the first time in almost a year. The Italian fighter is 2-1 in his last three fights.
Steven Navarro vs. Cristopher Rios
- Division/Weight: Super Flyweight
- Navarro record: 6-0
- Rios record: 11-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
Finally, Steven Navarro faces Cristopher Rios.
A U.S. Olympic Team Trials finalist, Navarro (6-0) is already being pushed as a top contender at 115. The 21-year-old won five fights his first year as a pro and won NABF gold in April.
A former amateur champion, Rios (11-2) is 2-2 in his last four fights.
Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia tune-in info
- Date: Saturday, July 26
- Start time: 9 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. PT
- Main event start tme (approx.): 11:15 p.m. ET | 8:15 p.m. PT
- Location: The Theater at Madison Square Garden – New York, New York
- Live stream: ESPN+
Fight fans can watch Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia on ESPN+. You can subscribe to ESPN+ for $11.99 on a monthly subscription and $119.99 on an annual subscription.
