Unbeaten super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco will face fellow undefeated rival Kevin Lele Sadjo in a high-stakes matchup headlining a December 13 DAZN show at the Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California. Matchroom Boxing confirmed the main event on Saturday, marking another key test for one of boxing’s fastest-rising 168-pound talents.
The card will also feature Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, who is still awaiting confirmation of his opponent, and local favorite Gabriel Flores Jr., whose return to his hometown is expected to help fill the 12,000-seat venue. It will be Flores’ fifth appearance in Stockton and adds a strong regional draw to the show.
Pacheco (24-0, 18 KOs), 24, will make his third appearance of 2025 following 12-round decision wins over Steven Nelson in January and Trevor McCumby in July. Those bouts marked the first time he was extended beyond ten rounds. The Californian recently split with longtime trainer Jose Benavidez Sr. in an amicable parting, and his new corner team has not yet been announced.
Watch Pacheco vs. McCumby highlights.
Sadjo (26-0, 23 KOs), a 35-year-old Cameroonian Frenchman, will make his U.S. debut after compiling an impressive knockout record across Europe and Africa. Though highly ranked, Sadjo’s career has been defined as much by missed opportunities as victories — most notably the canceled IBF eliminator against Christian Mbilli earlier this year. He has since recorded back-to-back stoppage wins, most recently halting Martin Ezequiel Bulacio in August.
Both fighters enter ranked inside the WBO’s top 10, with Pacheco sitting at No. 3 and Sadjo at No. 8, potentially placing the matchup in line for title contention or eliminator status.
In the co-main event, Joe Cordina will meet Gabe Flores in a key lightweight matchup expected to determine the next top contender for the Sam Noakes vs. Abdullah Mason winner.
The fight marks a homecoming for Flores (27-2, 8 KOs), who has rebuilt momentum with six consecutive wins since back-to-back losses in 2021 and 2022. Cordina (18-1, 9 KOs), a two-time world champion from Cardiff, Wales, rebounded from his 2024 defeat to Anthony Cacace with a strong decision win over Jaret Gonzalez Quiroz.
Watch Cordina vs. Gonzalez highlights.
The undercard will also showcase Australian star Skye Nicolson (14-1, 3 KOs) against veteran Rhonda Luna (17-4, 2 KOs) in her first major test at 122 pounds. Nicolson previously competed at featherweight and now aims to climb toward a potential undisputed clash with Ellie Scotney. “My first real fight, I feel, at 122, and I’m so excited for it,” she told DAZN.
Rising lightweight contender Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) faces seasoned Mexican fighter Antonio Moran (31-7-1, 21 KOs), while an all-Mexican junior featherweight showdown between Arturo Cardenas (16-0-1, 9 KOs) and Cesar Vaca (19-2-1) adds further depth to the card.
Fight card:
▪️Diego Pacheco vs. Kevin Lele Sadjo, 12 rounds, for the WBC Silver super middleweight title and Pacheco’s WBO International super middleweight title
▪️Joe Cordina vs. Gabriel Flores Jr., 12 rounds, for Cordina’s WBO International lightweight title
▪️Ernesto Mercado vs. Antonio Moran, 10 rounds, for Mercado’s WBO International super lightweight title
▪️Skye Nicolson vs. Yuliahn Luna, 10 rounds, for the interim WBC super bantamweight title
Prelims:
▪️Arturo Popoca vs. Cesar Vaca Espinoza, 10 rounds, super bantamweight
▪️Cheavon Clarke vs. Anthony Hollaway, 8 rounds, cruiserweight
▪️Sachery Sam vs. Brandon Medina Guerrero, 6 rounds, featherweight
▪️Cesar Olvera vs. Victor Saravia, 4 rounds, lightweight
