Former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza returns to "The Bubble" for the second time as he squares off against rising contender Javier Molina in a junior welterweight main event on Saturday at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.
Pedraza is a former junior lightweight and lightweight champion. He captured the vacant IBF junior lightweight belt from Andrey Klimov in June 2015. Pedraza made two successful title defenses before losing it to Gervonta Davis in January 2017. The 31-year-old moved up to lightweight and beat Ray Beltran in August 2018 to win the WBO lightweight championship. In his next fight, Pedraza was thrust into a lightweight title unification bout against the guy many boxing pundits feel is the best fighter in the sport, Vasiliy Lomachenko. Pedraza feels Molina is a comparable opponent, but that he'll get the job done this weekend.
"I haven't seen much of him, but he is a tall boxer who uses his reach well," Pedraza said to Boxing Scene. "I couldn't tell you about his punch and strength. But from what I saw, he uses his distance very well. The fights he has done have been a bit boring but mostly because he boxes a lot. It can cause a bit of trouble. But, I have always fought well with tall fighters."
Lomachenko dominated Pedraza to add the WBO belt to his WBA belt. Since then, Pedraza has gone 1-2 and moved up to 140 pounds. His last time out, he outpointed Mikkel LesPierre at the beginning of July inside "The Bubble," which Top Rank created due to COVID-19.
Molina started his career by winning his first nine fights before losing to Artemio Reyes in October 2011. Then Molina reeled off eight consecutive wins before coming up short against Jamal James in January 2016. Now, the California native is on another winning streak, with five victories in a row, including defeating Amir Imam in February on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II undercard.
Here is what you need to know about Jose Pedraza vs. Javier Molina.
Jose Pedraza vs. Javier Molina fight date, start time
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
The Pedraza vs. Molina card kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET. The co-feature, with Efe Ajagba vs. Jonnie Rice in a heavyweight bout, is expected to begin about 10 p.m. ET, with Pedraza vs. Molina to follow.
How to watch, live stream Pedraza vs. Molina
- ESPN+
You can watch the Pedraza vs. Molina undercard and main card live on ESPN+, which is $5.99 a month or $49.99 annually. Current subscribers can watch the fight as part of their plan.
Where is the Pedraza vs. Molina fight?
The Pedraza vs. Molina fight will be held at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. Top Rank just held its Jose Ramirez vs. Viktor Postol junior welterweight title bout at the venue at the end of August. While Pedraza and Molina have each fought in Las Vegas before, this will mark the first time Molina competes in "The Bubble," as it has affectionately been referred to during the coronavirus pandemic. It will be the second time Pedraza enters the complex.
Jose Pedraza record and bio
- Nationality: Puerto Rican
- Born: May 8, 1989
- Height: 5-8
- Reach: 70½ inches
- Total fights: 30
- Record: 27-3 with 13 knockouts
Javier Molina record and bio
- Nationality: American
- Born: Jan. 2, 1990
- Height: 5-10
- Reach: 68 inches
- Total fights: 24
- Record: 22-2 with nine knockouts
Pedraza vs. Molina fight card
Main card
- Jose Pedraza vs. Javier Molina; Junior Welterweight
- Efe Ajagba vs. Jonnie Rice; Heavyweight
Preliminary card
- Robeisy Ramirez vs. Felix Caraballo; Featherweight
- Bryan Lua vs. TBA; Lightweight
- Christian Montano vs. Ryan Adams; Super Middleweight
- Jahi Tucker vs. Deandre Anderson; Welterweight
- Kasir Goldston vs. Isaiah Varnell; Welterweight
- Leo Ruiz vs. TBA; Junior Middleweight
- Frevian Gonzalez vs. Carlos Marrero; Junior Lightsweight