Valdez Beats Medina by Decision: Difficult Return in Nogales

Oscar Valdez Returns with Victory Against Richard Medina

Former two-division world champion, Óscar Valdez (33-3, 24 KOs), secured a unanimous decision victory over Richard Medina (16-4, 9 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout. The event took place at the Domo Binacional in Nogales, Mexico, Valdez’s hometown. This matchup marked Valdez’s return to the ring after his technical knockout loss in the sixth round against Emanuel Navarrete in December, where they were disputing the WBC super featherweight title.

The judges’ scorecards reflected scores of 100-90, 98-92, and 97-93, showing a notable difference in a fight where Medina maintained an aggressive stance, constantly pressing Valdez. Despite Valdez’s attempts to counter, he failed to diminish his opponent’s resistance.

Valdez, 34 years old, started the fight strongly, connecting hooks and jabs to prevent Medina from cornering him. However, his rival’s tenacity was demonstrated by refusing to back down. In the intermediate rounds, Medina took the initiative, managing to connect several blows. Valdez was at a disadvantage in several exchanges, showing physical wear and tear that made it difficult for him to keep Medina at bay.

Valdez regained momentum in the eighth round, connecting hooks that impacted Medina’s face, causing him to lose his mouthguard. However, Medina, 24, was never in danger, continuing his offense and taking punches in exchange for throwing his own. It was evident that Valdez, former featherweight and super featherweight champion, had slowed down against an opponent he would have easily surpassed in previous years. However, he demonstrated the determination of a champion in the final rounds, securing the victory. In his last five fights, since his defeat against Shakur Stevenson in 2022, Valdez has alternated wins and losses.