Berchelt vs Vargas 2: Isaac Dogboe ready for revenge against Emanuel Navarrete

Isaac Dogboe had an active and big year in 2018, breaking through and becoming a world titleholder, and then losing his belt in an upset against Emanuel Navarrete just weeks before the calendar turned over to 2019.

The 24-year-old Ghanaian super bantamweight will now try to get the WBO 122-pound belt back next Saturday, when he faces Navarrete in a rematch on ESPN from Tucson, Arizona.

Dogboe (20-1, 14 KO) says he’s coming to “set the record straight” on May 11.

“At my lowest point, Emanuel Navarrete couldn’t knock me out. I’m now at the peak of my fitness. Navarrete is going down,” Dogboe said. “The warrior is coming! NeHo! I’m coming to knock out Emanuel Navarrete! Emanuel Navarrete, I’m back to set the record straight!”

Navarrete (26-1, 22 KO) won a decision over Dogboe (20-1, 14 KO) on Dec. 8 in New York, on the Lomachenko-Pedraza card.

Before that, Dogboe was enjoying a tremendous year. In January, he beat Cesar Juarez in Accra, and he followed in April by knocking out Jessie Magdaleno to win the WBO belt in a terrific fight. He made a successful defense in August, stopping Hidenori Otake in just over two minutes.

But Navarrete spoiled the year for Dogboe, really taking him out of the Fighter of the Year race as well as taking his belt.

The May 11 ESPN card will be headlined by another rematch, as WBC super featherweight titleholder Miguel Berchelt faces Francisco Vargas, from whom he took the belt back in Jan. 2017.