Jaime Munguia will be reunited with his adoring public.

As previously reported by BoxingScene.com, Tijuana’s Munguia (36-0, 29KOs) will next face Poland’s Maciej Sulecki (29-2, 11KOs) on April 24, live on DAZN from Don Haskins Center on the campus of University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in El Paso, Texas. Golden Boy Promotions confirmed the fight and location along with the news that the event will take place with fans in attendance. A maximum capacity of just under 40% will be permitted in attendance for the show, which will air live on DAZN.

“There is no more exciting a middleweight in the world today than Jaime Munguia, and every time he fights, he brings huge knockout power into the ring,” said Oscar De La Hoya, founder and chairman/CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Sulecki is a tough customer who gave Danny Jacobs all he can handle, but if Munguia can pass this test, a world championship fight is right around the corner.”

The bout will mark the third at middleweight for Munguia, a former WBO junior middleweight titlist who remains on the hunt for a belt in a second weight division. The undefeated 24-year-old moved up in weight last January, scoring an 11th round stoppage of Ireland’s Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan at Alamodome in San Antonio. His most recent fight came after the pandemic, halting Bahama’s Tureano Johnson—a 2008 Olympian and veteran fringe contender—in seven rounds last October without a crowd at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.

Early plans called for Munguia to pursue a title shot versus two-time and reigning IBF middleweight titlist Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1, 35KOs). Talks stalled to the point of both sides opting to move in a different direction, leading Munguia to pursue a challenge versus someone with at least some title fight experience.  

“I feel very happy to be returning on April 24 against Maciej Sulecki,” said Munguia. “It will be a great fight against a great challenger. We are training at 100% to be in the best of conditions, and we promise to deliver an exciting battle.”

Sulecki fits that bill, with his lone career defeats coming at the highest level. The perennial Top 10 contender fell short in a title eliminator versus Daniel Jacobs—who went on to become a two-time middleweight titlist—as well as in his own title bid versus unbeaten two-division and reigning WBO middleweight beltholder Demetrius Andrade in June 2019.

The 31-year-old from Warsaw has since resurfaced with a 10-round shutout of Sasha Yengoyan last August in Suwalki, Poland. When the opportunity came to face a fighter of Munguia’s ilk, the fight was accepted with no questions asked.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to return to the United States and fight in the main event of such a big card,” said Sulecki. “Jaime Munguia is a strong, young warrior, but I have fought against some of the best of this division.

“On April 24, I will show the world that I am a top middleweight contender and that I deserve another world title shot.”

Added Leon Margules, Sulecki’s promoter and president of Warriors Boxing: “Maciej Sulecki is very excited about this opportunity to test his skills against Jaime Munguia. This is the perfect challenge to demonstrate that Sulecki deserves another world title shot, and it has all the ingredients to make for an action-packed battle.”

TICKET INFO

Per a Golden Boy Promotions press release, tickets—priced at $200, $100, $60 and $35 (plus service fees and other charges)—will go on sale, Friday April 2 at 12:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. local time). Tickets will be sold in pods and groupings of 2, 3, 4 and 6 people only, in compliance with social distancing measures.

Tickets will be made available online at http://www.utepspecialevents.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or over the phone by calling the UTEP Ticket Center at (915) 747-5234.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox