By Moses 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 preliminary card of Most Valuable Promotions’ major event, which features Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson as the main attraction, the two Mexican fighters will battle for welterweight dominance in a 12-round world title fight.

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

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

Barrios defended the interim title against Fabian Maidana in May and was later promoted to full 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 huge honor, and I know Abel Ramos is a tough opponent who always comes to fight. He is experienced and dangerous, so I expect a tough battle. But I am ready to show why I’m the champion and that’s why this belt stays with me. The training camp was intense but great. We worked hard in Las Vegas, focusing on every detail to make sure I’m ready to compete. everything that Ramos brings I feel strong, lively and more motivated than ever to put in a great performance,” added Barrios.

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 Santamaria and Cody Crowley. Last April, however, Ramos scored a fifth-round stoppage victory over Juan Ramon Guzman. The victory over Guzman gave Ramos the title from Barrios, although the champion insists he is not ready to relinquish 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 it my all to keep this belt. Whether you’re watching live at AT&T Stadium or streaming on Netflix, you go see an exciting fight and a champion determined to come out on top,” added Barrios.