Guillermo Rigondeaux set to return on February 24 following horrific injury

Former two-time world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, with a professional record of 20-3-1 (13 KOs), will return to the ring for the first time in almost one year when he headlines the fight card at Hialeah Park on Friday, February 24.

Rigondeaux, whose last bout was a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Vincent Astrolabio on February 26 of last year in Dubai, has been sidelined since suffering severe facial burns and eye injuries in a freak kitchen accident at his home in Miami nine months ago.

Now 42 years of age, the former WBO/WBA super bantamweight and WBA bantamweight world champion will attempt to tap the fountain of youth in his 25th professional fight as he looks to win for the first time since defeating Liborio Solis in February of 2020.

Rigondeaux tasted defeat in 2021, when he lost a twelve round split decision at the hands of then WBO bantamnweight champion John Reil Casimero.

He tried to bounce back the following year against Astrolabio, in what many saw as a very winnable fight, but the Cuban veteran was dropped in the eight round - which made the big difference on the scorecards, with Astrolabio securing a score of 95-94 from all three of the official judges.