Unbeaten super featherweight champs meet in unification bout

Oscar Valdez of Mexico and Shakur Stevenson of the United States, both undefeated super featherweight champions, will meet in a boxing unification bout on Saturday in Las Vegas.

The winner of the bout between World Boxing Council champion Valdez (30-0, 23 KOs) and World Boxing Organization champion Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs) would be crowned the undisputed ring king in the 130-pound division.

Stevenson, a 2016 Olympic silver medallist in the bantamweight division, won the WBO title after stopping fellow American southpaw Jamel Herring in the tenth round last October.

“I’m the best young fighter in the world and I’ll become the unified champion,” said Stevenson. “I can’t wait to get in there.”

Two-time Mexican Olympian Valdez, 31, knocked out Mexico’s Miguel Berchelt 14 months ago to claim the WBC title, making him the longest-tenured champion in the division.

“I want to make it clear I’m the best 130-pound fighter in the world,” Valdez said.

He defended the crown last September with a 12-round decision over 2016 Olympic lightweight champion Robson Conceicao of Brazil.

Just eight days before defending his title, Valdez tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug phentermine. Stimulants were only banned during competition, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency criteria applied by the Native American tribal commission monitoring the battle.

Valdez and Stevenson are both past World Boxing Organization featherweight champions.