By Moisés Ochieng

On November 15, San Antonio’s Mario Barrios is scheduled to defend his WBC welterweight title at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, against Phoenix, Arizona native Abel Ramos. On the undercard of Most Valuable Promotions’ main event, featuring Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson as the main attraction, the two Mexican fighters will compete for welterweight dominance in a 12-round world title fight.

Going into the fight, Barrios, who is 29-2 (18 KOs), feels confident in his abilities. During a media workout in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Barrios stated, “I’m a proud San Antonio native, and every time I fight here, I feel that extra support and energy from the crowd. Texas has some of the best fans in boxing.” in the world, and it is an honor to defend my title against them.

Barrios, 29, a former 140-pound champion, began his career with an impressive 26-0 record before back-to-back losses to Gervonta “Tank” Davis and, in his welterweight debut, Keith Thurman. After these setbacks, Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) bounced back with three consecutive victories. Last September, he claimed the interim 147-pound title by securing a unanimous decision victory over Yordenis Ugas.

Barrios defended the interim title against Fabián Maidana in May and was then promoted to absolute champion when the World Boxing Council designated undisputed champion Terence Crawford as “champion in recess.” Barrios’ next fight will be his first full championship defense.

“Defending my world title is a great honor and I know that Abel Ramos is a tough opponent who always comes to fight. He is experienced and dangerous, so I expect a very close battle. But I am ready to show why I am the champion and why That belt stays with me. Training camp has been intense but great. We have been working very hard in Las Vegas, focusing on every detail to make sure he is ready for anything, Ramos. I feel strong, alert and more motivated. than ever to give a great performance,” Barrios added.

Ramos, 33, suffered a loss to Yordenis Ugas in September 2020, but bounced back eight months later with a sixth-round victory over Omar Figueroa Jr. He then faced two setbacks in his next fights, losing to Luke Santamaría and Cody Crowley. However, last April, Ramos scored a fifth-round knockout victory over Juan Ramón Guzmán. The victory over Guzman secured Ramos a shot at Barrios’ title, although the champion insists he is not willing to let go of his belt.

“Fans can expect me to leave it all in the ring. I’ve been training to make a statement and I’m going to give everything I have to keep this belt. Whether you’re watching live at AT&T Stadium or streaming on Netflix, You are going to see an exciting fight and a champion determined to emerge victorious,” Barrios further expressed.