Oscar Valdez Returns with Victory Against Richard Medina in Mexico
The two-division former champion, Óscar Valdez (33-3, 24 KOs), achieved a unanimous decision victory against 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 match marked Valdez’s return to the ring after being defeated by Emanuel Navarrete in the sixth round, losing the WBC super lightweight title in December.
The judges’ scores were 100-90, 98-92, and 97-93, reflecting a fight where Medina maintained the initiative, exerting constant pressure. Valdez, although he withstood the attacks, did not manage to inflict significant damage on his rival.
Valdez, 34 years old, started the fight strongly, connecting hooks and jabs to keep Medina at bay. However, his opponent showed great resistance, refusing to back down. In the intermediate rounds, Medina gained momentum, managing to connect several punches. Valdez, at times, was overwhelmed and had difficulty avoiding Medina’s aggressiveness.
In the eighth round, Valdez regained ground, connecting hooks that knocked Medina’s mouthpiece out. Despite this, Medina, 24, was never in danger and continued to move forward, taking punches and responding with his own.
It was clear that Valdez, former featherweight and super featherweight champion, has lost some speed in his punches. Despite this, he showed the heart of a champion, finishing the fight strongly and returning to the path of victory.
In his last five fights, since his defeat against Shakur Stevenson in 2022, Valdez has alternated wins and losses.
