Giovani Santillan-Frederick Lawson Addeds to Navarrete vs Valdez Undercard

Welterweights Giovani Santillan and Frederick Lawson are set to collide in a 10-round showdown on December 7 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. The fight has been added to the undercard of Emanuel Navarrete’s junior lightweight title defense against Oscar Valdez, creating a must-watch event that will stream live on ESPN+.

The card will also feature three more rising stars: heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr., featherweight Albert Gonzalez, and junior bantamweight Steven Navarro, all of whom are eager to make statements as they continue their ascent in the boxing ranks.

Santillan vs. Lawson: Welterweight Showdown

Santillan (32-1, 17 KOs), a 32-year-old southpaw from San Diego, has been on the rise after a solid 2023, where he defeated veteran Erick Bone in July and knocked out Alexis Rocha in October. He then fought for an interim welterweight title in May, ultimately suffering a setback against Brian Norman Jr.

Lawson (30-5, 22 KOs), originally from Accra, Ghana and now fighting out of Chicago, scored a win over Estevan Villalobos in April 2023 but experienced back-to-back losses to Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Alexis Rocha earlier this year. Both Santillan and Lawson are ready to reignite their careers in this high-stakes clash.

Rising Stars on the Undercard

Also on the card, heavyweight prospect Richard Torrez Jr. (11-0, 10 KOs) will be featured in an eight-rounder, showcasing his knockout power and looking to extend his unbeaten record. Junior welterweight Emiliano Fernando Vargas (12-0, 10 KOs) will also be in action in a separate eight-round fight, bringing his explosive style to the ring.

Albert "Chop Chop" Gonzalez (11-0, 7 KOs) will face Argentina’s Gerardo Antonio Perez (12-6-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout, while Steven Navarro (4-0, 3 KOs) will look to make it five straight wins as he takes on Puerto Rican fighter Gabriel Bernardi (7-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round junior bantamweight contest. Rising welterweight Art Barrera Jr. (6-0, 4 KOs) will also appear in a six-round bout, with his opponent to be announced.

Main Event and Co-Feature Highlights

In the evening’s co-feature, featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza will defend his title in a rematch against Robeisy Ramirez. Both the Navarrete-Valdez main event and Espinoza-Ramirez co-feature will air on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET, promising fans an action-packed night of world-class boxing.