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All-action featherweight champion Oscar Valdez is less than three months away from returning to action according to Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who tells The Ring that Valdez will have a tuneup on January 12th. The fight will air on ESPN and, ideally, set up an April unification fight with the winner of Josh Warrington vs. Carl Frampton.
Valdez (24-0, 19 KO) suffered a fractured jaw during his March victory over Scott Quigg, the fourth defense of his WBO title. After going the distance just twice in his first 21 bouts, he’s gone to three consecutive decisions over the iron-tough Miguel Marriaga, Genesis Servania, and Quigg.
He switched trainers from Manny Robles to Eddie Reynoso back in August.
A fight with the Warrington/Frampton winner, besides being guaranteed entertainment, would unify the WBO and IBF titles. With Gary Russell Jr. vs. Leo Santa Cruz being bandied about, a full featherweight unification is conceivable, if hideously unlikely. Ain’t that a thing?