WBO junior middleweight champ, unbeaten Xander Zayas, has arrived in Puerto Rico and took part in an "open to the public" workout in advance of his unified title fight main event with Abass Baraou Saturday night.
Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou kicked off fight week for their unified 154 lb. title fight Saturday night with a Wednesday public workout at Distrito T-Mobile in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The historic unification showdown for Zayas, 22-0, 13 KOs and the rising WBO junior middleweight world champion, represents only the second ever unified title fight in Puerto Rico and will Zayas' fight at home in nearly six years.
The 23 year old Zayas launched his ascent in 2022, winning regional titles with impressive victories over veteran Mexican fighters Elias Espadas and Alexis Salazar. He later defended those secondary belts six times, steadily rising to the No. 1 position in the WBO rankings. Last July in New York, Zayas realized a lifelong ambition, outpointing Jorge Garcia in a Top Rank Boxing main event in the Madison Square Garden Theater to capture the world title. And, at that time he become the youngest champion in boxing with a bright future in the short distance.
Standing in the way is Baraou, 17 1-1, 9 KOs) the WBA world champ, who was also at the workouts readying for this Saturday night's showdown at Coliseo de Puerto Rico.
A decorated amateur who turned professional in 2018, Baraou stunned most fans and observers August by outpointing Cuban standout Yoenis Tellez in an upset to win the WBA "interim" title. The upset was punctuated by a dramatic knockdown of Tellez in the 12th round. One month later, Baraou was officially elevated to full WBA world champion status. And, while not a lot is known about him, Baraou is obviously tested and will provide a challenge for the young Puerto Rican star.
This winner-take-all unification showdown solidifies the fighter who emerges with significant leverage for another defense later in 2026 and a much bigger financial stake, too,.
Also at the open workout Wednesday, Dominican contender Rohan “El Rayo” Polanco (17-0, 10 KOs) and Mexican puncher Christian Gomez (23-6-1, 21 KOs), appear for light action. These two will lock horns in the 10-round welterweight co-feature with Polanco looking towards a possible title shot later this year.
The 27 year old Polanco won three fights in 2025, including decisioning veteran Quinton Randall over 10 rounds on the undercard of Zayas' main event in New York last July.
Top Rank Boxing is providing a way to see the Saturday night card in the USA live from Puerto Rico for free with ads on their "Fast Channel" called Top Rank Classics on the Roku, Tubi and Vizio apps.