Leading lightweight William Zepeda of Mexico is braced for his upcoming 12-rounder with Chicago’s fringe contender Giovanni Cabrera. The July 6 card, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, takes place in Ontario, California’s Toyota Arena and is broadcast by DAZN.

Zepeda (30-0, 26 KOs) overwhelmed British fringe contender Maxi Hughes in March but is expecting Carbera to put up sterner resistance. 

"This fight will be a very competitive fight and a very complicated fight,” said the 27-year-old southpaw. “We expect for Giovanni Cabrera to come with everything that he has, just like how he has done in his previous fights. We know that he is a very strong fighter; to be able to go 12-rounds with someone like Isaac Cruz tells us he is a very powerful fighter. 

“We are preparing very well in camp right now to ensure we are ready to give a very entertaining fight to fans on July 6. I love to challenge my skillset against high-level fighters like Giovanni Cabrera to prove to everyone that we are ready for the big names out there in the division."

The highly-regarded Carbrera (22-1, 7 KOs) rebounded from that August 2023 12-round split decision loss to Cruz by beating Ricardo Quiroz over 10 in March. Naturally, he sees this fight with Zepeda as a chance to prove he really belongs with the lightweight elite. 

"This fight is huge for me,” said the 29-year-old. “This fight further proves what I believe I am capable of. I consider myself one of the top lightweights in the world. I've defeated seven previously undefeated fighters; I am used to fighting undefeated fighters, and this is exciting for me. These are the kind of fights that motivate me to rise to the occasion and just reach newer levels. I have great respect for William. He is brave and he has the balls to put his undefeated record on the line against me."