Miguel Berchelt vs Jeremiah Nakathila official for March 26th on ESPN

As revealed early last month, former super featherweight champion Miguel Berchelt will make his lightweight debut on March 26th, taking on former 130-pound title challenger Jeremiah Nakathila atop an ESPN card in Las Vegas.

Berchelt (38-2, 34 KO) is looking to pick up the pieces after a disastrous knockout loss to Oscar Valdez last year, which ended a lengthy reign as the number-one 130-pounder on the planet and prompted a move up in weight. Nakathila (22-2, 18 KO) can punch, but he’s a career super featherweight who fell well short against Shakur Stevenson in his biggest fight to date.

Like I said, though, should be fun while it lasts.

I am ready to turn the page and show the fans I have what it takes to become a two-division world champion,” Berchelt said. “The Valdez fight is in the past, and my focus is on Nakathila and a lightweight world title in 2022. ‘El Alacran’ is back, and I can’t wait to come to Resorts World Las Vegas to put on a show.”

Nakathila said, “It’s an amazing opportunity to fight Berchelt. Given our styles, it will make for a highly entertaining fight. This is my lightweight debut, and I’m looking forward to my first win against a highly rated former champion.”

The co-feature pits featherweight Jose Enrique Vivas (21-1, 11 KO) against longtime super bantamweight Eduardo Baez (20-2-2, 7 KO). Vivas is coming off a terrific war with Louie Coria, while Baez came up short in an entertaining scrap with Ra’eese Aleem that snapped a 12-fight unbeaten streak dating back to his 2017 loss to Mauricio Lara.