After three impressive wins in 2023, welterweight standout Brian Norman Jr. is gearing up for a breakout year.
Norman will face Janelson Bocachica in a 10-round match on Saturday, March 2nd at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Norman Bokachka joins a heavily stacked undercard card headlined by a match between Uzbekistan’s Otabek Khormatov and American heavyweight Raymond Ford.
In the concurrent feature, Mexico’s Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez will defend his IBF title against rising Japanese fighter Reiya Abe.
Kholmatov vs. Ford, Lopez vs. Abe, and the undercard bouts will be streamed live exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Norman (25-0, 19 KOs) made his pro debut in January 2018 and went 11-0 in his first year in the paid ranks. He fought four times in 2021, including a first-round TKO victory over Roque AgustÃn Junco in December of the same year. After a year off, Norman bounced back in 2023, scoring eight-round decisions against Rodrigo Coria in January, Jesus Perez in May, and his first regional win against Quinton Randall in November. won the title. Boca Chica (17-2-1, 11 KOs) went 16-0, suffering his first professional loss to Mark Reyes Jr. in February 2021. Since then, he has been involved in several close fights, including a close decision loss to Alberto Palmetta last November. .
The undercard will showcase a variety of up-and-coming talent.
Undefeated U.S. Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan (9-0, 1 KO) will take on Colombia’s Brandon Valdez (15-4, 7 KO) in an eight-round featherweight bout. Ragan fought four times as a professional before winning the silver medal in Tokyo. He went on to pick up four more wins and continue his career in the paid ranks in 2022. The Cincinnati native earned a split decision victory over Jose Perez last October.
Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco (11-0, 7 KOs) squares off against Tariq Zaina (13-0-1, 8 KOs) in an undefeated junior welterweight battle. Polanco won three tough tests last year, with just one loss in each of his career. He scored a stoppage over Ricardo Quiroz in April, Cesar Francis in July and Keith Hunter in December. Zaina will be looking to build on his biggest win to date, a unanimous decision victory over Argentina hopeful Marcelino Lopez.
American Olympian Troy Eisley (11-0, 4 KOs) will face Marcos Hernandez (16-6-2, 3 KOs) in eight rounds at middleweight. The 25-year-old is looking to build on a successful 2023, which included a unanimous decision over Mexican veteran Vladimir Hernandez in November.
Heavyweight prospect Brandon Moore (13-0, 8 KOs) takes on Helaman Holguin (9-6-1, 4 KOs) in eight rounds. Moore returns after an eight-round decision over Robert Sims.
Floyd Diaz (10-0, 3 KOs) will put his undefeated record on the line in an eight-round bantamweight bout against Puerto Rico’s upset Edwin Rodriguez (12-7-2, 5 KOs). Diaz defeated Max Ornelas, who he once lost to in November.
Middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh (9-1, 5 KOs) is scheduled to make his debut in a six-round match against an opponent to be named in 2024. ‘The Greatest’ Son starts 2024 after scoring a points victory over Noel Lafargue in Conakry, Guinea, last December.
Junior welterweight contender Bryce Mills (14-1, 5 KOs) from near Liverpool, New York will face Garfred Gayot (6-1, 5 KOs) in six rounds.
This article uses a press release from Top Rank.
