The promotional genius of this co-main event is unmistakable. Brian “La Bala” Mendoza — the Las Vegas-based super welterweight who is the only man in professional boxing to have stopped tonight’s main event champion Sebastian Fundora — is back on a Fundora card, fighting for his career just hours before his most famous victim defends the titles. Opposite him stands Yoenis “Bandolero” Tellez, the 25-year-old Cuban southpaw who won a WBA interim title in March 2025 before losing it five months later and is now looking to re-establish his credentials.
Elevated to co-main event status on March 13 after the planned Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr bout fell through, this 12-rounder has significant title implications for the super welterweight division in 2026 and beyond.
| Date | Saturday, March 28, 2026 |
| Venue | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas |
| Promotion | Premier Boxing Champions |
| Division | Super Welterweight (154 lb) |
| Rounds | 12 |
| Titles | None (mandatory/voluntary positioning) |
| Broadcaster | Amazon Prime Video PPV ($74.99) |
| PPV Start | 8:00 PM ET / 1:00 AM GMT Sun (2:00 AM BST*) |
| Est. Ringwalk | ~11:00 PM ET / 4:00 AM BST |
*UK clocks spring forward to BST on the same night, March 29 at 1:00 AM GMT.
Yoenis “Bandolero” Tellez (11-1, 8 KOs) is the 25-year-old Cuban who turned professional in 2020 and has spent the past two years building toward world title contention at 154 lbs. He is ranked WBA #5 at super welterweight and owns a legitimate résumé win over Julian Williams — a former unified junior middleweight world champion — in March 2025 (UD 12, winning the WBA interim title).
That interim title was short-lived: Abass Baraou outpointed him over 12 rounds in August 2025. Tellez bounced back with a 5th-round TKO of Kendo Castaneda in December 2025. His 73% KO rate and 5’10” frame match Mendoza physically in almost every dimension — but at 25 versus Mendoza’s 31, the youth and upward trajectory are Tellez’s calling cards.
Quote: “Mendoza is dangerous, no doubt. What he did to Fundora, getting that highlight knockout, was incredible. He’s got power, he’s experienced. But I believe I’m on another level right now.”
Brian “La Bala” Mendoza (23-4, 17 KOs) is the 31-year-old Las Vegas super welterweight whose April 2023 KO of Sebastian Fundora — stopping the 6’6” future world champion in round 7 with a precise right hand — remains one of the most celebrated upsets of recent years. That win launched him into elite-level matchmaking: back-to-back losses followed against Tim Tszyu (UD 12, October 2023) and Serhii Bohachuk (UD 12, March 2024) showed he can compete but not yet dominate at world title level.
Mendoza’s response has been to rebuild: a 4th-round KO of Jesus Rojas in July 2025 demonstrated his power is undiminished, and his 74% KO rate over 27 professional fights confirms this is a natural puncher who stops fights when he lands. “I’m hungrier than ever to get back to the top,” Mendoza said. “I’m ready to knock out whoever gets in my way, starting with Tellez.”
| Yoenis Tellez | Brian Mendoza | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 11-1 | 23-4 |
| KOs | 8 (73%) | 17 (74%) |
| Age | 25 | 31 |
| Height | 5’10” / 178 cm | 5’10” / 178 cm |
| Reach | 74” / 188 cm | 70” / 178 cm |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Physically these two are as matched as any fight on the card — identical height, near-identical KO rates, same stance. Tellez has a 4-inch reach advantage that could prove decisive in a technical fight. The differentiator is experience: Mendoza has 23 more professional fights and has been forged against elite opposition.
Yoenis Tellez — Last 5 Fights
| Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | Kendo Castaneda | W | TKO | 5 |
| Aug 2025 | Abass Baraou | L | UD | 12 |
| Mar 2025 | Julian Williams | W | UD | 12 |
| Oct 2024 | Gonzalez | W | KO | 7 |
| Apr 2024 | Jackson | W | UD | 10 |
Brian Mendoza — Last 5 Fights
| Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | Jesus Rojas | W | KO | 4 |
| Mar 2024 | Serhii Bohachuk | L | UD | 12 |
| Oct 2023 | Tim Tszyu | L | UD | 12 |
| Apr 2023 | Sebastian Fundora | W | KO | 7 |
| Nov 2022 | Jeison Rosario | W | TKO | 5 |
Mendoza has been tested at world title level and come up short on points each time — never stopped. Tellez has been beaten on points (by Baraou) but responds with stoppages.
Two orthodox fighters, matched identically in height, similar in reach — this comes down to who executes better over 12 rounds. The key tactical edge for Tellez is his 4-inch reach advantage. He is the younger, fresher fighter moving in an upward direction. Mendoza’s strengths are experience, an educated right hand, and the big-fight mental composure that comes from fighting Tszyu and Tszyu-level opponents.
The Mendoza playbook from his own experience fighting Fundora: “You need tons of lateral movement and you need to be able to cross up his angles.” Ironically, Mendoza will now need to apply similar principles against Tellez’s Cuban-taught ring craft. If Mendoza can establish his right hand early and mix in body work to slow Tellez’s jab, he becomes a very live underdog. If Tellez controls range with his 4-inch reach advantage and boxes behind lateral movement, the youth and punch output should carry the night.
Yoenis Tellez
Brian Mendoza
| US Moneyline | UK Fractional | |
|---|---|---|
| Tellez | -280 | 1/3 |
| Mendoza | +230 | 13/5 |
Tellez’s youth, reach advantage, and upward trajectory make him the favourite here. But Mendoza is never far from a big-fight upset — his KO of Fundora proved that. Prediction: Tellez W UD 12.
| Country | Broadcaster | Details |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Amazon Prime Video PPV | $74.99 | 8:00 PM ET |
| UK | Amazon Prime Video PPV | £59.99 | 1:00 AM GMT Sun |
Estimated ringwalk: ~11:00 PM ET / 4:00 AM BST (Sunday March 29).
When is Tellez vs Mendoza? Saturday, March 28, 2026 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. Estimated ringwalk ~11:00 PM ET / 4:00 AM BST.
How to watch Tellez vs Mendoza? Amazon Prime Video PPV ($74.99 US / £59.99 UK). PPV card starts 8:00 PM ET / 1:00 AM GMT.
Why is Mendoza on the same card as Fundora? Mendoza is the only man to stop Sebastian Fundora — he KO’d him in round 7 in April 2023. His presence on the undercard while Fundora defends his world titles in the main event is a deliberate promotional narrative.
Has Mendoza beaten world champions? Yes. He stopped Fundora and went the full 12 rounds with Tim Tszyu (WBO title fight) and Serhii Bohachuk (WBC interim title fight), losing both on points.
What are Tellez’s credentials? He is ranked WBA #5 at super welterweight and held the WBA interim title in 2025 after a unanimous decision win over former unified champion Julian Williams.
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