By Miguel Maravilla
The stage is set for what is expected to be a highly competitive lightweight bout between Lamont “The Reaper” Roach Jr. (25-1-3, 10 KOs) of Maryland and William “El Camarón” Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) of San Mateo, Mexico, for the vacant WBC lightweight title tomorrow night at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. The event will headline TNT on DAZN.
IBF lightweight champion Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (24-0, 17 KOs) of Fontana, California, makes the second defense of his title against former world champion Robson “O Brabo” Conceição (21-3-1, 10 KOs) of Brazil in the co-feature bout.
The Undercard
Conwell vs. Kroll
Super welterweight Charles “Bad News” Conwell (21-1, 16 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio, returns to the ring against Philadelphia’s Paul Kroll (12-0-2, 8 KOs) to open the DAZN portion of the card.
The Pick: Conwell by decision. Kroll will bring everything he has, but Conwell will outclass the undefeated fighter en route to the victory.
Curiel vs. Randall
The undercard will also feature undefeated welterweight Raul “El Cougar” Curiel (17-0-1, 14 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico, taking on Houston’s Quintin “QuickDraw” Randall (17-3-1, 4 KOs).
The Pick: Curiel by decision. Curiel brings a very tough and awkward style, applies constant pressure, and should overwhelm the always-durable Randall. If Curiel scores the knockout, it would be a very impressive victory for the undefeated contender.
Co-Main Event: Muratalla vs. Conceição
In the co-feature bout of the evening, Muratalla makes the second defense of the title he won by defeating Zaur Abdullaev for the interim IBF lightweight championship. Muratalla then edged Cuba’s Andy Cruz in his first title defense to begin his 2026 campaign.
Conceição is a veteran who has shared the ring with the likes of Oscar Valdez and Emmanuel Navarrete (twice), and he defeated O’Shaquie Foster to capture the WBC super featherweight title. Conceição is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Helber Rojas.
The Pick: Raymond Muratalla by decision. Muratalla will press the fight early while fighting smart and mixing pressure with calculated aggression against the always-flashy Conceição. The former world champion will display his speed and elusiveness early, but Muratalla’s game plan, led by trainer Robert Garcia, will neutralize the Brazilian as he works his way to a decision victory.
Roach vs. Zepeda
There will be no backing down from either Roach or Zepeda. Roach proved his toughness by going the distance with Gervonta Davis and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in back-to-back fights last year. Zepeda looks to bounce back from the only defeat of his career, a unanimous decision loss to Shakur Stevenson in his most recent fight.
Roach is a skilled boxer who can also mix it up and is willing to trade, as he demonstrated in his last two fights. Zepeda is a high-volume southpaw puncher who is most effective when fighting from the pocket. Roach is currently a -150 favorite, while Zepeda stands at +115. If Roach stands and trades with Zepeda, expect the Mexican fighter to have the advantage. However, if Roach boxes, mixes up his attack, and avoids prolonged exchanges, the fight will favor him.
The Pick: It’s anyone’s fight. Zepeda by close decision.
The post Lamont Roach Jr. Vs. William Zepeda; Raymond Muratalla Vs. Robson Conceição & Undercard Preview appeared first on FightNews.
