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PBC’s December 21st FOX show in Ontario, California now has a full main card. The WBA bantamweight title fight between Guillermo Rigondeaux and Liborio Solis, originally planned for the 7th, will now co-headline for Tony Harrison-Jermell Charlo II, while blue-chip heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba opens the show in his return from back injury against Iago Kiladze.
“With two world title fights and one of boxing’s most exciting prospects entering the ring, Saturday, December 21 is going to be a night of action that fans in Southern California won’t want to miss,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “In addition to the main event, one of boxing’s most skilled fighters, Guillermo Rigondeaux, will look to become a two-division world champion against a battle tested former champion in Liborio Solis. Plus, hard-hitting phenom Efe Ajagba hopes to pass another test with flying colors against Iago Kiladze to round out a tremendous lineup on FOX and FOX Deportes.”
When first passing along word of the co-main, I’d assumed that Rigondeaux (19-1, 13 KO) and Solis (30-5-1, 14 KO) were fighting at 122 pounds. Instead, this will be “El Chacal’s” debut at 118 pounds and will make the winner “regular” champion alongside “super” champ Naoya Inoue. Despite advancing age and his humiliating 2017 loss to Vasiliy Lomachenko at super featherweight, “El Chacal” remains a top fighter, while Solis’ only blemishes since 2011 were a loss to then-division emperor Shinsuke Yamanaka, a bogus loss to Jamie McDonnell, and a headbutt-induced no contest against the latter in their rematch.
This will be the former super flyweight champ’s fourth bid at bantamweight gold.
Ajagba (11-0, 9 KO), one of the brightest rising heavyweights in the game, has been extremely busy since his 2017 debut, rarely taking breaks longer than three months between fights. He’s knocked out Amir Mansour and taken a decision over fellow Olympian Ali Eren Demirezen this year, though a fight with Jack Mulowayi fell through due to the aforementioned back issue. Kiladze (26-4-1, 18 KO) will be a step down, having suffered three knockout losses and a draw in his last four efforts.