Bryan Chevalier is emerging as another bonafide prizefighter from Puerto Rico.

The once-beaten Chevalier will face Ranfis Encarnacion tonight at the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The 10-round bout will headline a Cotto Promotions card that will air live on a pay-per-view through their website (CottoPromotions.com, 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT).

Chevalier (19-1-1, 15 knockouts), who resides in nearby Bayamon, has emerged as a fringe contender at 130 pounds. In his last bout on April 22, Chevalier stopped Alberto Mercado in the seventh round. The win over Mercado comes less than six months after Chevalier stopped former world title challenger Cesar Juarez, also in the seventh round.

The 29-year-old has displayed more power and aggression in recent fights, having won five of his last six fights by knockout. 

Chevalier has won his last 11 fights since suffering his only defeat at the hands of Alcides Santiago in June 2017. Amongst his recent string of victories were wins over Luis Lebron, who was unbeaten entering the Chevalier fight, and Carlos Zambrano.

Encarnacion is a hard-hitting puncher who has mixed results in recent fights.

The 28-year-old Encarnacion (21-3, 17 KOs), who resides in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, stopped Jean Carlos Hernandez in the second round of his last bout on February 25. He has won four of his last five bouts with the only blemish coming on April 2 of last year at the hands of Edixon Perez. 

Encarnacion’s most notable fights were a knockout loss to then-unbeaten prospect Vic Pasillas in September 2020 and a disqualification loss to former world junior bantamweight titleholder Tomas Rojas less than three months later.

Chevalier’s regional title belt will be on the line. 

In the co-feature, Jose Sanchez (10-0, 6 KOs) of Cathedral City, California will square off against Carlos Caraballo in a 10-round junior featherweight bout. 

Sanchez dropped Jorge Sanchez once en route to a knockout win in round 4 in his last bout on January 28. The 23-year-old Sanchez has defeated three unbeaten fighters thus far in his pro career.

Caraballo (15-2, 14 KOs), who resides in Ponce, Puerto Rico, has not fought since June 11 of last year, losing a unanimous decision to Victor Santillan. Caraballo has lost two of his last three fights. 

Francisco A. Salazar has written for BoxingScene since September 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing