Providence, RI (June 7, 2021) – A new main event headlines CES Boxing’s huge summer spectacular on Saturday, June 19 as two fierce featherweight warriors compete for the coveted WBC title.
With Irvin Gonzalez Jr. sustaining an injury in training camp, Dominican Republic native “El Gato” Angel Luna (14-6-1, 7 KOs) steps to the plate to face 23-year-old Los Angeles prospect Adan Ochoa (11-2, 4 KOs) in the main event of CES’ long-awaited return to live action at historic Cranston Stadium in Cranston, RI. Luna-Ochoa is eight rounds for the vacant WBC USNBC Featherweight Title, streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS® as part of Rhode Island’s first outdoor boxing event in more than 60 years.
Tickets are available online at CESFights.com. To sign up for FIGHT PASS, visit ufcfightpass.com, or download the UFC app. Showtime is noon, followed by the live FIGHT PASS stream at 1 pm. A separate-admission amateur card begins at 5 pm.
Also fighting June 19, four-time world champion Jaime “Hurricane” Clampitt (22-5-1, 7 KOs) returns for the first time in eight years in a six-round special attraction against fellow Canadian and former world-title holder Olivia Gerula (18-19-2, 3 KOs) of Ontario. Clampitt, a native of Saskatchewan, won world titles at lightweight and super lightweight and will now compete in the 135-pound division.
Fresh off his sixth pro win in mixed martial arts in April, light heavyweight Gary Balletto III (1-0, 1 KO) boxes for the first time since 2019 and for the first time in his hometown when he faces Idaho’s William Dunkle – also a pro MMA fighter – who will be making his professional boxing debut in a four-round bout. Balletto joins his younger brother, Aiden Balletto, who competes on the amateur event.
Undefeated featherweight Ricky Delossantos (9-0, 1 KO) aims for double-digit victories in his long-awaited return against Puerto Rican challenger Alberto Nieves (4-1-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round bout and “Bling Bling” Michael Valentin (6-1-1, 1 KO) battles Nassau, Bahamas native Lester Brown (4-3-3, 1 KO) in a four-round super featherweight bout.
A pair of undefeated welterweight teammates also return as Victor Reynoso (6-0, 5 KOs) of Providence, pictured above, and James Perella (6-0, 4 KOs) of Mansfield, MA, highlight the undercard in separate bouts. Reynoso faces the dangerous Martez Jackson (5-4-3, 2 KOs) of Macon, GA, in a four-round bout while Perella battles 18-year-old Mexican challenger Gael Ibarra (5-3, 4 KOs) in a six-round bout. Super lightweight Wilson Mascarenhas (3-1) of New Bedford, MA, fights for the first time since November of 2019 when he faces Alberta, Canada native Angelo Habib (1-0) in a four-round bout.
The June 19 outdoor event adds another historic layer to CES’ rich tradition of world-class boxing and entertainment. The 82-year-old Cranston Stadium – officially completed in 1939 – has hosted some of Rhode Island’s most historic events, including legendary high school football rivalries, minor-league baseball, and semi-professional soccer, but it’s been 73 years since its last professional boxing event. June 19 is also believed to be Rhode Island’s first outdoor boxing event since August 25, 1959, held at Pierce Memorial Stadium in East Providence.
Now living and training in East Haven, CT, the 31-year-old Luna hopes to continue his recent post-COVID resurgence with what would be his fourth consecutive victory dating back to 2019. The former Bronx, NY, resident has faced some of the toughest competitors in the featherweight division, including Rhode Island’s Toka Kahn Clary, Bryant Cruz, and former IBF world champion Tevin Farmer. In 2015, he scored one of the biggest wins of his career, upsetting previously-unbeaten Jose Lopez in Brooklyn.
The recent win streak, which features arguably his most complete performance as a pro against 25-fight veteran Michael Gaxiola in February, has boosted Luna’s confidence; “I feel things are finally going my way,” he said. Now, on June 19 in front of a worldwide audience on combat sports’ premier streaming platform, Luna gets the opportunity of a lifetime to fight for a belt once worn by the likes of Alantez Fox, Chad Dawson, Adrien Broner, and Paul Williams, all of whom are former or current USNBC title-holders.
Like Luna, Ochoa has climbed the ladder facing elite competition in the 126-pound weight class, winning eight consecutive bouts before making his network television debut in September at The MGM Grand on ESPN against Edward Vazquez.
Born in Long Beach and raised in Compton, Ochoa began boxing at 10 years old at the behest of his father, who wanted his son to stay on the right path and avoid negative influences outside of the gym. After two wins as a pro, he stepped up to face then 5-0 Adam Lopez, a fight he describes as a major learning experience and turning point in his career. Ochoa also faced current unbeaten lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia and continues to be a positive influence in his community both in and out the ring; in November of 2019, he teamed with three-time world champion Abner Mares to launch a Thanksgiving food drive in Compton.