Flyweight veterans are set to square off on a busy Saturday night in the boxing world. Edgar Sosa (47-7, 28 KO) will take on Ulises Solis (35-2, 22 KO) on the same night Bernard Hopkins tangles with Tavoris Cloud and Juan Carlos Salgado rematches Argenis Mendez.
The flyweight encounter is a title-eliminator bout, and it takes place in Complejo Panamericano, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. With two tough Mexican fighters battling it out for a shot at a world title, the atmosphere should be a great one for boxing.
The intrigue doesn't end there, though. The winner will receive the WBC flyweight silver belt, and there is real history between the combatants.
This is the third battle between the two fighters. Solis has come out on top in the previous two bouts, but both were close decisions.
Here's how you can catch the action:
When: Saturday, March 9
Where: Complejo Panamericano, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
TV: UniMas
Fight Time: 8 p.m. ET
The Book on Sosa
Crossroads Fight
At 33 years old, Sosa knows this could be his last serious shot at a title.
He needs to finally defeat Solis to get the opportunity, though. He's won three of his last four fights, with the only loss coming at the hands of legendary flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam in 2011.
This fight is more than a big one for the current title picture—a win would give him some retribution against an opponent he has yet to defeat.
If he has never been in a must-win situation, he's certainly in one now.
In the Ring
Sosa is one of only three men to defeat Brian Viloria. He did it with hard counterpunching and a stiff jab that disturbed Viloria's rhythm.
Here is a video of that entertaining bout.
Sosa has an excellent chin and great fighting spirit. Both were in ingredients in how he defeated Viloria.
Viloria is a hard puncher, but he doesn't move quite as well as Solis. That element of Solis' game has challenged Sosa in their previous bouts.
Sosa has to utilize his jab to establish the tempo in this fight. The more the fight is fought as a mobile affair, the more it favors Solis. Sosa needs a slower pace with controlled exchanges.
If he can walk Solis down and use proper angles, he'll be in control of the fight.
The Book on Solis
Is the Third Time Always the Most Difficult?
We usually hear a reference that defeating an opponent for the third time in a row is difficult in the NFL, but it could prove to be the case in boxing as well.
It's been nearly 10 years since the two last met, but inside they are still the same fighters. Solis is only 31 years old with two losses in his career. He hasn't lost since he was stopped by Viloria in 2009.
He isn't in the same situation as Sosa. Solis' career could possibly absorb a loss, but a win would vault him firmly in the picture for a shot at Toshiyuki Igarashi and the WBC flyweight championship.
Can the motivation of reaching for a title supersede Sosa's desire to end Solis' success against him?
In the Ring
Solis is quick and has one-punch KO power, though he may not be quite as big of a puncher at flyweight. At light flyweight, he scored devastating stoppages like the one below against Rodel Mayol.
He did score a seventh-round KO in his last bout against Jesus Iribe, but he hasn't looked quite as strong at the higher weight. Against Sosa, it may not matter, as both men have come up in weight at nearly the same time.
Solis went to flyweight in 2011, while Sosa made his jump in 2010. Sosa is a tough fighter, but Solis' speed and power could again be problems for him.
Title Bout Championship Boxing 2 Prediction
The overall outcome couldn't have been much closer with the TBCB 2 simulations. Sosa and Solis split 10 simulated bouts five a piece.
Each fighter scored three KO/TKO victories and two decision wins. None of the stoppages came before the eighth round.
Here are a few screenshots from the simulations.
My Prediction
This is a tough fight to predict, but I believe in Sosa's ability to perform well with his career potentially hanging in the balance. It is tough to beat a man three times in a row, and it is even tougher when the first two fights were close.
I'm going with Sosa by unanimous decision.
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