Super bantamweight gets a competitive title bout on the Romero vs. Lopez PPV undercard as Victor Santillan puts the Interim WBA 122 lb title on the line against a revived Gary Antonio Russell. Santillan earned the interim belt in dramatic fashion in February, while Russell is looking to show the boxing world the best of the Russell fighting family isn’t done producing champions. Over 12 rounds, this should be a genuine examination of where both men really stand.
| Date | Saturday, August 22, 2026 |
| Venue | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Promotion | TGB Promotions |
| Broadcast | DAZN PPV |
| Start Time | ~8 PM ET / 1 AM BST (undercard) |
| Division | Super Bantamweight (122 lbs) |
| Title | Interim WBA World Super Bantamweight Championship |
| Scheduled Rounds | 12 |
Victor Santillan (16-2-0) is a 31-year-old Dominican southpaw who has built his career in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean circuit before breaking through on bigger platforms. His professional path includes a notable loss to unbeaten Tenshin Nasukawa in Japan (June 2025, UD), which raised questions about his ceiling — but the answer came emphatically in February 2026, when Santillan stopped Noel Reyes Cepeda in Round 3 to claim the interim WBA super bantamweight title. He enters this fight on a two-fight winning streak with the interim belt around his waist.
Santillan is compact at 5’5” with a 65.4” reach — shorter dimensions for the division — but his southpaw stance creates awkward angles and his TKO rate through 18 professional bouts reflects a willingness to work the body and look for the finish.
Gary Antonio Russell (21-1-0) is the least heralded of the three Gary Russells — behind his older brother Gary Russell Jr. (former WBC featherweight champion) and Gary Antuanne Russell (current WBC super lightweight champion) — but at 33 he remains a professional pedigree fighter with serious amateur credentials and the TGB promotional backing. His lone professional loss came via a controversial technical decision to Emmanuel Rodriguez in 2022 due to an accidental headbutt, which was a bitterly disappointing result. Since then, he has gone 2-0 with wins over Jaden Burnias (R4 TKO, Oct 2024) and Dervin Rodriguez (UD, Aug 2025).
Russell is the taller, more physically imposing fighter at 5’7” with a 66” reach. He is an orthodox boxer with sound fundamentals and good power — 13 of his 21 wins have come by stoppage. At 33, the clock is ticking on his world title ambitions.
| Santillan | Russell | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 31 | 33 |
| Height | 5’5” | 5’7” |
| Reach | 65.4” | 66.0” |
| Stance | Southpaw | Orthodox |
| Record | 16-2-0 | 21-1-0 |
| Rounds Fought | — | 102 |
Victor Santillan — Last 5 Fights
| Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | Noel Reyes Cepeda | Win | TKO | R3 |
| Oct 2025 | Alfree Ramirez | Win | TKO | R3 |
| Jun 2025 | Tenshin Nasukawa | Loss | UD | 10 |
| Jun 2024 | Alfree Ramirez | Win | UD | 10 |
| Jun 2023 | Sho Ishida | Loss | SD | 10 |
Gary Antonio Russell — Last 5 Fights
| Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2025 | Dervin Rodriguez | Win | UD | 10 |
| Oct 2024 | Jaden Burnias | Win | TKO | R4 |
| Oct 2022 | Emmanuel Rodriguez | Loss | TD | R1 |
| Nov 2021 | Alejandro Santiago | Win | MD | 8 |
| Aug 2021 | Emmanuel Rodriguez | NC | Cut | R1 |
The southpaw-orthodox dynamic is the first and most significant tactical element here. Santillan’s lefty stance creates natural leverage on lead left hands and requires Russell to stay discipline with his footwork — moving to his left (Santillan’s power side) invites the cross; circling right (Santillan’s non-power side) is the textbook response, but easier said than done when Santillan is pressing forward.
Russell is the better-rounded boxer on paper and has the advantage in height, reach, and professional experience. His 102 rounds of professional action against better opposition — including the world-level Eduardo Melendez and Juan Carlos Payano — gives him a stamina and composure edge over the distance. The question is whether nearly four years of inactivity at the top level (his last fight of note was the headbutt-marred Rodriguez encounter in 2022) has left him rusty against a fresher, title-tested opponent.
Santillan’s TKO of Cepeda to win the interim belt was convincing, but Cepeda is not close to Russell’s level. The Nasukawa defeat in Japan — a 10-round points loss — raised genuine questions about whether Santillan can handle an intelligent boxer who uses the ring and doesn’t let himself get into firefights.
For Santillan: • Establish the southpaw jab and disrupt Russell’s orthodox rhythm early • Use body work to slow Russell down in mid-rounds • Force exchanges rather than allow Russell to control distance • Make this a fight — his TKO rate is the equaliser
For Russell: • Circle away from Santillan’s left hand — move to Santillan’s power side only with purpose • Establish the jab early and use his height/reach to control space • Combination punch rather than single-shot; avoid getting drawn into brawls • Trust his experience over the 12-round distance
Tapology community picks: Russell 92% / Santillan 8% — the public is very strongly behind Russell, reflecting respect for his name and pedigree.
The reality is more nuanced. Russell is a live opponent but not the fully intact top-10 fighter he was in 2022. Santillan is a legitimate titlist who beats people and has been active. Over 12 rounds, Russell’s fundamental advantages should show — but this is not the walkover the community odds suggest.
Prediction: Gary Antonio Russell by majority decision. His boxing skills and experience edge out Santillan, who will have his moments behind the southpaw advantage. Expect it to be competitive before Russell pulls clear in the championship rounds.
| Region | Broadcaster | Time |
|---|---|---|
| United States | DAZN PPV | ~8 PM ET |
| United Kingdom | DAZN PPV | ~1 AM BST (Sunday) |
| Australia | DAZN | ~10 AM AEST (Sunday) |
This fight is part of the Romero vs. Lopez PPV on DAZN. Also on the card: Rolando Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez for the WBA welterweight title, Carlos Utria vs. Israel Mercado at super lightweight, and Yoenli Hernandez vs. Francisco Veron at middleweight.
When is Santillan vs. Russell? Saturday, August 22, 2026. The bout is on the main card of the DAZN PPV for Romero vs. Lopez.
What title is at stake? The Interim WBA World Super Bantamweight Championship.
Who is Victor Santillan? A 31-year-old Dominican southpaw currently training out of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. He won the interim WBA 122 lb belt with a TKO3 win over Noel Reyes Cepeda in February 2026.
Who is Gary Antonio Russell? A 33-year-old American orthodox boxer from Capitol Heights, Maryland, part of the famed Russell boxing family alongside Gary Russell Jr. and Gary Antuanne Russell. He holds a 21-1 record with 13 stoppages.
How many rounds is the fight? 12 rounds.
Has Gary Antonio Russell held a world title before? No — this is his first world title fight.
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