Puerto Rico’s own Xander Zayas, the youngest male world champion in boxing today, is set to launch 2026 with a major milestone on his home soil. The 23-year-old WBO junior middleweight champion will take on WBA titleholder Abass Baraou in a historic unification clash on Saturday, January 31, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) has enjoyed a meteoric rise since turning professional at 17 in Reno, Nevada. The San Juan native captured his first regional title in 2022 with a fifth-round knockout of Elias Espadas and followed up with a decision win over Alexis Salazar to claim another belt. After several defenses, he earned the WBO’s top contender spot and secured the world title in July 2025 with a dominant victory over Jorge Garcia in New York—just six weeks shy of his 23rd birthday.

Now returning home for the first defense of his crown, Zayas is determined to make history. “On January 31, we’ll fulfill another dream,” he said. “I’ll be fighting on my island, unifying two world titles in front of my people. Together, we’re going to make history. See you there!”

His opponent, Abass Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs), brings a global story to the ring. Born in Germany to Togolese parents, Baraou grew up between both nations before rising to prominence as an elite amateur—winning gold at the 2017 European Championships and bronze at the World Championships. Turning professional in 2018, Baraou has bounced back from a close 2020 loss to Jack Culcay with eight consecutive wins. His crowning achievement came in August 2025 when he stunned Cuba’s Yoenis Tellez to claim the WBA interim title, later becoming full champion after Terence Crawford vacated.

Baraou welcomes the challenge. “Xander is a great talent, and I respect him for taking this fight,” he said. “But I’m coming to Puerto Rico to make a statement. I want to show the world that I’m the real force at 154 pounds—and maybe even earn a few new Puerto Rican fans along the way.”

The bout will mark only the second unification fight ever held in Puerto Rico, following the 2010 showdown between Ivan Calderon and Giovani Segura. The iconic Coliseo, which first hosted a boxing event in 2004 when Miguel Cotto stopped Kelson Pinto, has since been a stage for Puerto Rican greats like Calderon, Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez, and Roman Martinez.

Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum praised the significance of the event, noting that Zayas’ first title defense had to take place in front of his home crowd. “The fact that he’ll be facing another champion in San Juan makes it even more special,” Arum said. “Abass Baraou is a tough, experienced opponent who will embrace the challenge of fighting on Xander’s turf. The Puerto Rican fans deserve a night like this.”

The undercard will showcase rising Puerto Rican prospect Juanmita Lopez De Jesus (4-0, 2 KOs), the 19-year-old son of former world champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez. Fighting in a six-round junior bantamweight bout, Juanmita continues his father’s legacy at the same arena where Juanma once thrilled fans with a series of knockout victories.

With two champions colliding and a new generation of Puerto Rican talent rising, the January 31 card promises to be a defining night for Puerto Rican boxing.

The event is being promoted by Top Rank, in association with ICON+, Move Concerts, and Noah Assad Presents, with ticket details to be released soon.