Marlen Esparza vs Gabriela Celeste Alaniz postponed from April 29 due to visa issue

It’s now being reported that a women’s flyweight unification bout between Marlen Esparza and Gabriela Celeste Alaniz, set for April 29, has now officially been postponed. Reports indicate that Alaniz, an Argentinian who holds the WBO title, has run into issues securing her travel visa to the United States for the fight.

That means WBC titleholder Esparza (13-1, 1 KO) will have to wait a bit longer for her opportunity to unify the two belts, with a targeted rescheduled date of May 27. Esparza, 33, had two appearances last year and is looking forward to getting her 2023 campaign underway. She last took a unanimous decision win over Eva Guzman last August.

Alaniz (14-0, 6 KO), who goes by the moniker ‘La Chucky’, has never fought outside of her native Argentina and last appeared in September when she stopped another local fighter. This bout would be a considerable step up in competition from that fight, but also provides Alaniz, 28, a chance for her to prove her skill on a much bigger stage.