Unbeaten featherweight Mark Magsayo will face Rigoberto Hermosillo in the main event of an FS1 PBC Fight Night card on October 3. The ten-round fight will headline the event from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Magsayo (20-0, 14 knockouts) of Bohol province in the Philippines was originally scheduled to fight Jose Haro on that date, but Haro suddenly withdrew and announced his retirement on social media. Instead Magsayo faces a younger, hungrier fighter in Hermosillo (11-2-1, 8 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Hermosillo, who is three years older than Magsayo at 28, is coming off two straight decision losses in competitive fights against then undefeated fighters Viktor Slavinskyi and Manny Robles III. Hermosillo is a an aggressive southpaw, which is a significant style departure from the fighter Magsayo was originally training for.
PBC Fight Night on FS1 Fight Card
- Featherweight Main Event – Mark Magsayo vs. Rigoberto Hermosillo
- Welterweight – Paul Kroll vs. Luke Santamaria
- Super Bantamweight – Chavez Barrientes vs. Ivan Varela
- Super Bantamweight – Angel Barrientes vs. Fernando Ibarra
Watch Mark Magsayo vs Rigoberto Hermosillo on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and live streamed on the Fox app at foxsportsgo.com.
Magsayo likens Hermosillo to Ramiro Robles, the Mexican southpaw he dropped twice in his U.S. debut back in 2016 en route to a unanimous decision win.
“He’s a tough fight for me because he’s a fighter who always moves forward,” said Magsayo, who has been training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles with Freddie Roach and Marvin Somodio, along with conditioning coach Justin Fortune three mornings a week.
“Mark is looking good in camp,” said Somodio. “Freddie made some adjustments to his training to be able to put more power on his punches and working on his defense as well. Also, Justin helped him a lot with his conditioning. I can’t wait to see the result of his hard work on October 3rd.”
Magsayo had signed with Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions earlier this year, which brings with it a chance to get exposure on Premier Boxing Champions’ cards in the United States. Magsayo is rated no. 4 by the WBC, no. 13 by the WBA and no. 4 by the IBF, and can bolster his credentials as a contender with greater visibility in the United States.
“It’s an opportunity for me to fight here in the U.S. again. I’m very happy that I’m fighting a main event time,” said Magsayo. “I hope that next year I will be fighting for a world title.”
The rest of the card will include a welterweight prospect showdown between Paul Kroll (7-0, 6 KOs) and Luke Santamaria (11-1-1, 7 KOs) in the co-main event, plus undefeated prospects Angel Barrientes (2-0, 2 KOs) and Chavez Barrientes (2-0, 2 KOs).