Chris Oliver previews an unmissable showdown between two quality Mexican fighters this weekend as Emanuel Navarrete takes on Eduardo Nunez in Arizona.
Boxing betting tips: Saturday action
2pts Eduardo Nunez to win by decision 17/10 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power)
All Mexican world title fights rarely disappoint, and this weekend’s super featherweight unification clash should be no different.
In the early hours of Sunday morning on DAZN, WBO champion Emanuel Navarrete takes on IBF ruler Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez in a mouthwatering contest at the Desert Diamond Arena just outside of Phoenix.
Both men live up to their heritage in terms of fighting styles and it’s hard to see anything other than a cracker here, with world titles and Mexican pride on the line.
Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) is the elder statesman as a three-weight world champion who has been dining at the top table for a long time, and the 31-year-old always brings the heat.
With serious power in both hands, he comes forward all night long and his awkward, yet aggressive, style has proven to be very effective over the years.
Nunez (29-1, 27 KOs) is the relative newcomer on the title scene, having only picked up his strap with a points victory over Masanori Rikiishi in Japan last May.
Having stopped all of his 27 victims before that, he then went the distance again when successfully defending the belt in a barn burner with Christopher Diaz in September and those pair of 12-rounders at world level may have been exactly what the 28-year-old needed to make him a more complete fighter.
While Navarrete has the better wins and more pedigree at this level, recent performances have suggested that he may be on the slide a little after a long, hard career. He has only won one of his last four, having drawn with Robson Conceicao to retain his belt, before losing to Denys Berinchyk by decision up at lightweight, and he was lucky to escape with a no contest against Charly Suarez when last seen nine months ago.
With a bad cut leaving Navarrete unable to continue after eight rounds, he was initially awarded a technical decision victory as he was ahead on the scorecards, and the referee judged the cut to have been caused by an accidental clash of heads. However, an investigation confirmed the cut was caused by a punch which should have meant a victory for Suarez, but the result was changed to a no contest.
It must be said, though, that his sole victory during that period was a very good one, as he confirmed the form of his 2023 decision win over Oscar Valdez by impressively stopping the latter in six rounds 15 months ago.
So, if age is catching up with Navarrete a little, Nunez could be the one with the momentum here, and that may be crucial. The younger man, whose sole loss came way back in 2018, is also aggressive and likes to get on with things, but he does so in a tidier fashion, and he looks the more technically sound of the two.
Nunez can be backed at 4/6 but is generally available at 1/2 and 8/15, while support for Navarrete this week means he is now only a best price of 17/10.
Given their styles, it is expected to be an all-action contest, and both have very high knockout percentages, but it is just 4/6 to go the distance. That may be because neither man has been stopped in their combined three defeats, Nunez’s power hasn’t yet transferred to world level and Navarrete hasn’t looked quite as destructive since moving up to 130lbs.
Navarrete faded in the second half in his defeat to Berinchyk and looked to be doing the same against Suarez last time, so those miles on the clock could be taking their toll, and the second half is when Nunez can come into his own here.
I expect both men to start fast, and neither of the two is hard to hit, so this could be very lively early on. However, once things die down a little, the younger and fresher man in Nunez can take control. While it won’t be easy for Nunez, I fancy him to be busier and more accurate down the stretch, and that can be enough for him to nick a DECISION VICTORY at 17/10.
This isn’t a fight you want to miss, and it could be all to play for going into the championship rounds, but I think Nunez can close the show in style to claim bragging rights and both of the belts.
Emanuel Navarette vs Eduardo Nunez date, time and how to watch
Emanuel Navarette vs Eduardo Nunez will take place on Saturday February 28 at Desert Diamond Arena.
It is being broadcast live on DAZN, with coverage set to begin at 02:00 GMT on Sunday morning and the main event ring walks expected just prior to 05:00.
Emanuel Navarette vs Eduardo Nunez card
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Posted at 09:15 GMT on 27/02/26
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