The WBC junior lightweight title will be vacant no more after Saturday night as Rey Vargas and O’Shaquie Foster square off for the belt. You can catch the title fight and every other main card bout on Showtime starting at 9 p.m. ET.
Foster (19-2-0) is a slight +120 underdog, but should give Vargas a true test. He is three years Vargas’ junior, has far less wear and tear in professional boxing, and has a 1.5-inch reach advantage. Foster fought another undefeated boxer in his last match, Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov, and won by unanimous decision. “Ice Water” has not lost in more than six years and will look to ride his momentum through Vargas and into the spotlight as a rising star.
Claudio Marrero (26-5, 18 KO) vs Gonzalo Fuenzalida (12-1, 3 KO), lightweights, 8 rounds
Eumir Marcial (3-0, 1 KO) vs Ricardo Villalba (20-7-1, 8 KO), middleweights, 8 rounds
Dainier Pero (2-0, 2 KO) vs Daniel Zavala (2-1-2, 0 KO), heavyweights, 4 rounds
David Whitmire (debut) vs Keith Foreman (0-0, 0 KO*), welterweights, 4 rounds
Two-weight world champion Rey Vargas returns to action tonight when he takes on O’Shaquie Foster for the vacant WBC super featherweight world title.
Vargas will be looking to add another world title to his collection after beating WBC featherweight champion Mark Magsayo last July.
Foster meanwhile is the mandatory challenger for the famous green and gold belt and comes into tonight’s fight on the back of a win over Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov in March 2022.
Main Card (SHO, 9:00 pm ET)
Rey Vargas (36-0, 22 KO) vs O’Shaquie Foster (19-2, 11 KO), junior lightweights, 12 rounds, for vacant WBC title
Mario Barrios (26-2, 17 KO) vs Jovanie Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KO), welterweights, 10 rounds
Lenier Pero (8-0, 5 KO) vs Viktor Faust (11-0, 7 KO), heavyweights, 10 rounds
Fighter history
Vargas (36-0-0) has never lost a professional bout, but came closer than he ever has in his last fight when he narrowly topped Mark Magsayo by split decision. It was the first time in Vargas’ career he failed to either knock his opponent out or win by unanimous decision. The orthodox fighter is aiming for his third belt; he held the WBC super bantamweight title between 2017 and 2019 and defeated Magsayo for the WBC featherweight title last July. His win over Magsayo came at the Alamodome where this fight will also take place.
Foster (19-2-0) is a bit of a late bloomer having fought professionally just 21 times by age 29, but he has burst onto the scene lately. He is undefeated over the last six-plus years and nine fights and knocked off another undefeated boxer, Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov, by unanimous decision in his last bout in March 2022.
WHEN IS VARGAS VS. FOSTER? DATE, START TIME TONIGHT
Date: Saturday, February 11
Main card: 9 p.m. ET / 2 a.m. GMT
Main event ringwalks (approx): 12 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. GMT
The main card is set to get underway at 9 p.m. ET / 2 a.m. GMT with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 12 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. GMT.
VARGAS VS. FOSTER FIGHT CARD
Rey Vargas vs. O’Shaquie Foster; For the vacant WBC Super Featherweight world championship
Mario Barrios vs. Jovanie Santiago; Welterweight
Lenier Pero vs. Viktor Faust; Heavyweight
Shaquie Foster, known by the moniker “Ice Water,” has built a high-profile boxing career at 29. Those who know of him can appreciate why he has become such an acclaimed celebrity, currently boasting wins, defeats, and ties of 19, respectively, with 11 knockouts. This conflict even includes a top award’s uplift associated with capturing the world title for him.
Rey Vargas goes for a world title in a third weight class tonight, with O’Shaquie Foster looking to stop him from doing just that in what is Foster’s first world title shot.
The vacant WBC title at 130 lbs is on the line in tonight’s main event. Prelims will kick off and stream free at 6:45 pm ET, while the main card goes live at 9 pm ET on Showtime.
Foster got his career off the ground in 2018 when he earned a unanimous win over Jon Ferenadez and followed up in March 2022 with another unanimous triumph against Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov. His most noteworthy successes have been marked by defeats of Albert Mercado, with a studied choice by the refs, and Micky Roman, who was knocked out during their nationally aired event. After these career highlights, he took hold of the WBC Silver Super Featherweight Title and the DBE Championship Title.