Ricardo Sandoval walks into his first WBC Flyweight World title defence with a matchup he never prepared for. Oscar Collazo was the original opponent — a compact, 5’2” southpaw who required a very different defensive strategy. A rib injury removed Collazo before fight night, and in his place stands Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza: a knockout specialist from Sonora with 23 stoppages in 28 fights and a single blemish on his record — a round-two knockout loss to IBF light flyweight champion Thanongsak Simsri in April.
Both men carry knockout power. Both have a significant open question heading into Chicago. That combination makes Saturday’s co-feature at Wintrust Arena worth close attention.
| Date | Saturday, 10 October 2026 (US) |
| Venue | Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois |
| Promotion | Golden Boy Promotions / Most Valuable Promotions |
| Broadcaster | DAZN (US & UK) |
| Division | Flyweight (112 lb) |
| Rounds | 12 |
| Title | WBC World Flyweight |
| Main card | 7:00 PM ET / 12:00 AM BST |
This fight is the co-feature to Floyd Schofield vs Lucas Bahdi for the vacant WBA World Lightweight title. Our preview of that fight is here.
Ricardo Sandoval (27-2-0, 18 KOs) is 27 years old, born in Rialto, California, and fights out of the orthodox stance at 5’6” with a 67-inch reach. He turned professional in 2016 and has fought 167 professional rounds.
Sandoval’s path to the WBC World Flyweight title was not straightforward. He suffered a split-decision loss to David Jimenez in 2023, came back with a second-round body-shot knockout of Jerson Ortiz, and then travelled to Japan in July 2025 to challenge long-reigning WBC flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji. He was knocked down in the fifth but refused to buckle, grinding Teraji down with body work and relentless pressure over the final four rounds to take a split decision (115-112, 117-110, 114-113) and become the first American flyweight world champion since Brian Viloria held the title in 2012-13.
His power is built on intelligent body attack rather than one-punch knockout force. The left hook to the body — the same shot that finished Ortiz — is his signature weapon, worked off a consistent jab and straight right that controls distance.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Rnd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | Kenshiro Teraji | W | SD 12 | 12 |
| Feb 2025 | Salete Henderson | W | UD 10 | 10 |
| Jul 2024 | Angel Acosta | W | KO | 10 |
| Mar 2024 | Carlos Buitrago | W | TKO | 8 |
| 2023 | Alberto Santomauro | W | UD 10 | 10 |
Five straight wins. Three of the last four finished inside the distance.
Sergio Mendoza (27-1-0, 23 KOs) is 26 years old, born in Sonora, Mexico on 28 March 2000. He stands 5’4” with a 66-inch reach. He debuted in December 2018 and has accumulated 115 professional rounds.
Mendoza is from a Sonora boxing tradition that has produced several contenders, and his knockout rate demands respect at any weight class. He collected WBC FECARBOX and WBC FECOMBOX titles in 2021-22, blitzing through the regional ranks with stoppages throughout. By late 2024 he was fighting on DAZN cards, stopping Angel Ramos on a Matchroom co-feature in Hermosillo.
The Simsri defeat — a knockout in round two in Tokyo in April 2026 — is both the obvious caveat and the key context for this fight. Mendoza challenged IBF light flyweight champion Thanongsak Simsri and was stopped before he could establish himself. What the Simsri loss raises is the question of how Mendoza performs when a fast, accurate puncher applies early pressure. Whether that translates across weight classes — Mendoza is moving from light flyweight (108 lb) to flyweight (112 lb) — remains to be seen.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Rnd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | Thanongsak Simsri | L | KO | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Mpumelelo Tshabalala | W | KO | 3 |
| Jul 2025 | Joel Cordova | W | UD | 10 |
| Mar 2025 | Edinson Martinez | W | TKO | 4 |
| Sep 2024 | Angel Ramos | W | KO | 3 |
Four-fight winning streak snapped by Simsri; back with a first world title shot here.
| Sandoval | Mendoza | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 27-2-0 | 27-1-0 |
| KO Wins | 18 (67%) | 23 (85%) |
| Age | 27 | 26 |
| Height | 5’6” | 5’4” |
| Reach | 67” | 66” |
| Stance | Orthodox | — |
| Pro Rounds | 167 | 115 |
The headline difference is experience: Sandoval has 52 more professional rounds, which matters in a 12-round world title fight. Sandoval also has the physical advantages in height and reach, and Mendoza’s stoppage rate, while higher, reflects a body of work built largely at lighter regional levels.
The adjustment problem for Sandoval. Sandoval spent his entire training camp preparing for a compact southpaw moving up from minimumweight. He now faces an orthodox fighter with a different punch angle and an entirely different structural challenge. If Sandoval rushes into his pressure style without accounting for the changed stance and rhythm, he risks walking onto counters before he can set his body attack.
The pressure problem for Mendoza. Sandoval’s best weapon is the sustained body attack that wears fighters down. Carlos Buitrago had the experience advantage at 112 pounds and was still systematically dismantled over eight rounds. Mendoza has 115 professional rounds at lighter weights and has never been inside a world-class pressure fighter’s wheelhouse for the full 12 rounds. The Simsri loss came on a night when he never found his range before the fight was stopped.
The opening rounds decide this fight. If Sandoval adjusts quickly and establishes his jab and body work, Mendoza’s knockout threat diminishes as the rounds accumulate. If Mendoza can land a meaningful shot early and prove his power translates at 112 lb, this fight becomes genuinely dangerous for the champion.
For Sandoval:
For Mendoza:
The pick is Sandoval by late-round stoppage, likely between rounds eight and ten. His body work should extract a performance drop from Mendoza as the rounds accumulate, and if Mendoza’s punch resistance has not been proven at flyweight, Sandoval’s sustained output will find the answer. Mendoza’s knockout power makes an early upset plausible, but the experience gap, the physical advantages, and Sandoval’s proven chin make that the less likely path.
United States: DAZN (stream via app or web). Main card starts 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT.
United Kingdom: DAZN. Main card starts 12:00 AM BST (Sunday 11 October).
Who holds the WBC flyweight title? Ricardo Sandoval holds the WBC World Flyweight championship, winning it in July 2025 by defeating Kenshiro Teraji by split decision in Yokohama, Japan.
Why is Sergio Mendoza fighting for a world title on short notice? Oscar Collazo, who was originally scheduled to challenge Sandoval, withdrew with a rib injury. Mendoza stepped in as a late replacement.
What happened when Sergio Mendoza fought Thanongsak Simsri? Mendoza challenged IBF light flyweight champion Simsri in April 2026 in Tokyo and was knocked out in round two.
Where is Sandoval vs Mendoza taking place? Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The event also features the WBA World Lightweight title fight between Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi as the main event.
How does Sandoval’s record compare to Mendoza’s? Sandoval is 27-2 with 18 knockouts and 167 professional rounds. Mendoza is 27-1 with 23 knockouts and 115 professional rounds, with the majority of his stoppages against regional-level opposition.
What is the significance of the late-replacement angle for Sandoval? Sandoval had prepared specifically for Oscar Collazo — a southpaw minimumweight challenger with a distinct style and physical profile. Mendoza presents different technical and physical questions, meaning Sandoval must adapt his gameplan at short notice.
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