Former World Champion to Fight in Main Event at Fantasy Springs Casino

INDIO (CNS) – Former world champion Angel "Tito" Acosta will face undefeated Venezuelan flyweight Angelino "Huracán" Cordova in the scheduled 12-round main event of a boxing card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio Thursday evening.

The 32-year-old Acosta (23-3, 22 knockouts) of San Juan, Puerto Rico will be fighting for the first time since knocking out Janiel Rivera 1 minute, 19 seconds into the first round May 12 at Fantasy Springs.

"I am very happy and motivated for this fight because it puts us close to an opportunity for the world championship," said Acosta, who won the vacant World Boxing Organization light flyweight championship with a 10th-round knockout of Juan Alejo Zuniga Dec. 2, 2017, at Madison Square Garden on a card that featured Miguel Cotto making an unsuccessful defense of his WBO super welterweight title against Sadam Ali.

Acosta made three successful title defenses, then lost the title when he was knocked out in the 12th round by Elwin Soto June 21, 2019, at Fantasy Springs. Acosta won his next two fights, then was knocked out in the fourth round by Junto Nakatani Sept. 10, 2021, in a bid for Nakatani’s WBO flyweight title.

The 27-year-old Acosta (17-0-1, 12 KOs) has won 14 consecutive bouts, 11 by knockout, since suffering the lone blemish of his professional career, a four-round draw with Luis Guatache Aug. 26, 2017, in his fourth professional bout.

"It’s a great opportunity for my career," said Cordova, who scored a 10-round split decision over Axel Aragon Vega in his last fight June 24, 2022, in Kissimmee, Florida.

Both fighters weighed in Wednesday at 111.6 pounds, four-tenths of a pound under the flyweight limit.

The WBO international flyweight championship is at stake in the bout.

The six-bout card also includes two fights with Coachella Valley boxers.

Leo "Bazooka" Sanchez of Cathedral City (3-0, two KOs) will fight Mychaquell Shields of Alpine (0-1) in a scheduled four-round super featherweight bout.

Grant Flores of Coachella will fight Juan Herrera (0-1-1) of Tijuana, Mexico in a scheduled four-round super welterweight bout, his first fight since knocking out Jorge Ayala Lopez 2:35 into the first round of his professional debut Feb. 23 at Fantasy Springs.

The first fight will begin at 6 p.m. The card will be streamed by DAZN.

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