By Keith Idec
O’SHAQUIE FOSTER’s focus has shifted back to where it was before his close loss to Robson Conceicao on July 6.
Now that Foster has avenged that defeat and regained the WBC super featherweight title, he has his sights set on a title unification fight when he returns to the ring in 2025. There is one particular in-house fight promoter Top Rank can easily make that interests Foster.
“I want the winner of [Emanuel] Navarrete and Oscar Valdez,” Foster told ESPN’s Mark Kriegel in the ring Saturday night, following his split-decision victory over Conceicao. “I’m going [to their fight]. I’ll be there.”
Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. promotes Foster, Valdez and Navarrete.
Mexico’s Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) will attempt to avenge his own loss to his countryman when he encounters Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) on December 7 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Valdez, the WBO interim junior lightweight champ, will try to become the WBO’s recognized titleholder in the 130-pound division by beating Navarrete, the WBO’s super champion in that weight class.
Navarrete, 29, has moved back down from the lightweight division following a 12-round, split-decision defeat to Ukraine’s Denys Baranchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) on May 18 at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. Baranchyk won the then-vacant WBO lightweight title thanks to his victory over Navarrete.
Two bouts before Baranchyk beat him, Navarrete defeated Valdez convincingly in their 12-round fight for Navarrete’s WBO junior lightweight title. Navarrete won their bout by scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112 in August 2023 at Desert Diamond Arena.
Navarrete settled for a 12-round majority draw with Conceicao in his subsequent bout, which led to Conceicao challenging Foster for his WBC belt almost four months ago at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Conceicao (19-3-1, 9 KOs) upset Foster (23-3, 12 KOs) by split decision, but the WBC ordered an immediate rematch two weeks later.
Foster made the most of his second chance Saturday night at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, where he conquered Conceicao by split decision in their second 12-rounder.
The Orange, Texas native was a little more aggressive than during their first fight and beat Conceicao on the cards of judges Max De Luca and Eric Marlinski, both of whom scored Foster a 115-113 winner. Judge Tom Schreck scored it 115-113 for Conceicao.
Valdez, meanwhile, stopped gutsy Australian Liam Wilson (14-3, 8 KOs) in the seventh round of his last fight. He won the WBO’s interim junior lightweight title by beating Wilson on March 29 at Desert Diamond Arena because Navarrete temporarily moved up to the 135-pound division.