Undefeated Welterweight to Fight in Main Event at Fantasy Springs Casino

INDIO (CNS) – Undefeated welterweight Raul “El Cugar” Cúriel will make the third defense of his North American Boxing Federation championship in a main event of a six-bout card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio Thursday evening.

Cúriel (12-0, 10 knockouts) of Guadalajara, Mexico, will face Courtney Pennington (17-6-3, 7 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York in the scheduled 10-round bout.

The 27-year-old Cúriel will be fighting for the first time since Dec. 17, when he knocked out Brad Solomon 44 seconds into the second round. Cúriel had been sidelined by an eye injury suffered in March.

Cúriel has won each of his last seven fights by knockout.

He won the then-vacant title with ninth-round knockout of American Ferdinand Kerobyan June 19, 2021 in El Paso, Texas. He knocked out American Kendo Castaneda in the seventh round Dec. 18, 2021 in San Antonio, in his first title defense.

Cúriel is studying to become a lawyer.

The 36-year-old Pennington will be fighting for the first time since an eight-round split decision victory over fellow American James Martin May 20 in Philadelphia.

Pennington has fought in Madison Square Garden — where he lost a 10- round unanimous decision to Charles Conwell for the vacant U.S. Boxing Association super welterweight title on June 8, 2019 — Colombia, Canada and Jamaica.

Cúriel weighed-in at the 147-pound welterweight limit, one pound heavier than Pennington.

Manny Flores (15-1, 11 KOs) of Coachella will fight in the 10-round super bantamweight co-main event against Nicaraguan Jerson Ortiz (17-7, 8 KOs). The bout will be Flores’ first since the first loss of his professional career, when he lost a 10-round unanimous decision to fellow Walter Santibanes June 8 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

Grant Flores (2-0, 2 KOs), a cousin of Manny Flores, will fight in a scheduled six-round super welterweight bout against Jaleik Bogel (4-1-2, 2 KOs) of Tampa, Florida.

The card is set to begin at 5 p.m. and will be streamed by DAZN.

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