- Date: Saturday, April 13
- Start Time: USA – 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT | UK – 3 a.m. BST (Sunday, April 14)
- Streaming: ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+
- Venue: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Undefeated heavyweight sensation Jared Anderson is set to ignite the ring once again. Hailing from Toledo, Ohio, Anderson is ready to escalate his game against Belgium’s tough contender Ryad Merhy on a thrilling Saturday night clash.
The co-main event brings an electrifying face-off with Nigerian powerhouse Efe Ajagba clashing with Italy’s formidable Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello, both veterans of the 2016 Olympics, promising a clash of titans in the heavyweight division.
Kicking off the televised battles, Robson Conceicao, with three world title shots under his belt, takes on the challenger Jose Guardado, known for his knack for upsets, in an eight-round battle.
Tickets for this adrenaline-pumping night, brought to you by Top Rank, are grabbing fans’ attention on Ticketmaster.com.
With a flawless record of 16-0 and an impressive knockout streak, Anderson is riding high on a wave of victories from the previous year, including a notable takedown of George Arias and a unanimous win over Charles Martin in a hometown spectacle. Merhy steps onto U.S. soil for the first time with his eyes on victory, fresh off a significant triumph over Tony Yoka in Paris.
Post-training in Houston, Anderson shared his relentless drive and strategic sharpness, “I’m all in, climbing higher every day. But I’m grinding like it’s day one. We’re locked in, so keep your eyes on us. Stick with me.”
He added, “I’ve got the upper hand in smarts over Merhy. In this game, you need a razor-sharp mind, and mine’s among the sharpest in the heavyweight fight. Watch closely, catch every move.”
He concluded with a stark warning, “Merhy’s in for a tough night. I’m here to put on a show. You won’t want to miss this.”
At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.
Jared Anderson
“Expect the best version of me. Expect to see me shine. Expect to see me dominate and show why I belong here.”
“Merhy has a different level of experience. But, everything from my amateur pedigree and what I’ve always done to everyone, whether they have experience or not, will play a different role.”
“The challenge {with smaller fighters} is that you have to sometimes deal with their speed, which we trained for. But I don’t really see to many challenges with this. I don’t really see too many challenges. I’m used to fighting all types of different people. I’m used to training with all types of people. So, if you don’t prepare properly, then you won’t perform properly. So, just know that we came prepared for sure.”
Ryad Merhy
“I’m very happy to be here. What a great opportunity. Who would have ever thought that from a small country like Belgium I would be able to show my talent in America? I hope to represent my country.”
“I’m not looking for anything. They’re looking for me. I’m a cruiserweight who has moved up to the heavyweight division because I was called out. They keep calling me, and now I’m here.”
“Jared is a very talented fighter. He is a great prospect. But this Saturday I’m going to show that he still has a long way to go. I have gone 177 rounds as a pro, while Anderson has only gone 46. So, we’ll see if that plays a big difference on Saturday.”
Efe Ajagba
“We know each other well. We’ve sparred each other. So, we know each other a lot. We have Olympic backgrounds, so that’s how it happened.”
I want to see what he brings to the table. We sparred. But that’s sparring. That’s different from an actual fight. He thinks that I’m going to fight like I how sparred. But it’s not going to be like that. This fight means a lot because it is a stepping stone.”
Guido Vianello
“We know each other. We are two aggressive fighters in the ring, I can’t wait to fight. I can’t wait to see what happens in there.”
“I expect a good fight. This is a great opportunity. I’m really happy. The happiness is the strongest power I have. So, let’s see who is the best and fight.”
“I have zero pressure because I always just think about me. I’m happy because Top Rank has a lot of heavyweights. This is good for us because we can make a lot of good fights.”
Robson Conceição
“For sure it was a tough fight with Emanuel Navarrete. It was a war. And I learned a lot from it. I also prepared a lot for this fight. And I think I will get another title shot soon.”
John Rincon
“I’m excited to be back in my hometown. I just gotta keep doing what I’m doing. The sky is the limit for me. I’m ready, and I’ll see you all on Saturday.”
Ali Feliz
“This is huge. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. And there’s no better place to start it than Top Rank. I’m excited to start the journey.”
Updated Fight Card:
- Jared Anderson vs. Ryad Merhy: Heavyweight Main Event
- Efe Ajagba vs. Guido Vianello: Heavyweight Co-Feature
- Robson Conceicao vs. Jose Guardado: Televised Opener