Arnold Barboza Jr. (28-0) picked up the biggest victory of his career on February 4th when he outpointed former two-division champion Jose Pedraza (29-5-1) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The bout served as the ESPN televised chief supporting bout underneath Emanuel Navarrette’s 9th round knockout victory over Liam Wilson.
The 31-year-old Barboza hasn’t been very active in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic definitely played a role in his inactivity but he also been waiting for a shot at a world title and has also been campaigning for a shot at former lightweight kingpin Teofimo Lopez.
While he still hopes to get a shot at title or get his hands on Lopez, he said his plan is to fight at least two more times this year.
“This is going to be a busy year for me. A big year. I’m going to get at least 3 fights in and hopefully get a fight against one of the top guys in the division,” Barboza told BoxingScene.com.
“Everyone knows I want to fight Teofimo or for a belt. Let’s make it happen next!”
Last year Barboza only fought once, defeating Danielito Zorilla via unanimous decision in July.
In 2021 his only fight was a unanimous decision victory over Antonio Moran.
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