Jake Paul cedes center stage to Amanda Serrano in San Juan

FIGHT WEEK

Jake Paul is scheduled to face boxer Ryan Bourland on the undercard of Amanda Serrano’s title defense against Nina Meinke on Saturday in the champion’s native Puerto Rico.

JAKE PAUL (8-1, 5 KOs)VS. RYAN BOURLAND (17-2, 6 KOs)

Date: Saturday, March 2
Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, Puerto Rico
TV/Stream: DAZN
Division: Cruiserweight (200 pounds)
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound: None
Odds: Paul 9-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Significance (up to five stars): *

Also on the card: Amanda Serrano vs. Nina Meinke, featherweights, (for Serrano’s IBF, WBA and WBO titles); Jonathan Gonzalez vs. Rene Santiago, junior flyweights (for Gonzalez’s WBO title)
Background: YouTuber-turned-boxer-and-promoter Paul has taken a back seat to undisputed featherweight champion Amanada Serrano (see below) on this card but he remains its biggest attraction. Paul will be facing his second consecutive boxer – as opposed to mixed martial artist or other type of athlete – in Bourland, a 35-year-old from California. However, the one-time Golden Gloves champion has fought only obscure journeyman on minor cards, meaning he probably isn’t a serious threat to his more famous opponent. Paul has won two consecutive fights since he lost a split decision to rival Tommy Fury in February of last year. He easily outpointed MMA star Nate Diaz last August and then knocked out boxer Andre August in the first round in December.

AMANDA SERRANO (46-2-1, 30 KOs)VS. NINA MEINKE (18-3, 4 KOs)

Date: Saturday, March 2
Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, Puerto Rico
TV/Stream: DAZN
Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
At stake: Serrano’s IBF, WBA and WBO titles
Odds: NA
Significance (up to five stars): ****

Also on the card: Jake Paul vs. Ryan Bourland, cruiserweights; Jonathan Gonzalez vs. Rene Santiago, junior flyweights (for Gonzalez’s WBO title)
Background: This is a homecoming for Serrano, who will be fighting in her native country for the first time since early 2021. The seven-division titleholder has won four consecutive fights since she lost a split decision in a bid to take Katie Taylor’s 135-pound titles in April 2022. All four victories were one-sided decisions in defense of her 126-pound titles, over Sarah Mahfoud, Erika Cruz, Heather Hardy and Danila Ramos. The Ramos fight took place last Oct. 27. Meinke, 30, is a longtime contender from Berlin, Germany. She has won six consecutive fights since she came up short in her only major title fight, losing a unanimous decision to Mahfoud in April 2022. She also was knocked out by Taylor in a non-title bout in 2017. Her most recent fight took place on Oct. 28 in Munich, where she easily outpointed Laura Ledezma. Meinke will be fighting outside of Europe for the first time.

OTABEK KHOLMATOV (12-0, 11 KOs)VS. RAYMOND FORD (14-0-1, 7 KOs)

Date: Saturday, March 2
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
At stake: Vacant WBA title
Odds: Kholmatov 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Significance (up to five stars): ***

Also on the card: Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Reiya Abe, featherweights (for Lopez’s IBF title); Brian Norman Jr. vs. Janelson Bocachica, welterweights

Background: We’ll see which rising young contender is the real deal. Kholmatov, a former youth amateur star from Uzbekistan, has stopped all but one of his 12 opponents since turning pro in 2021. Only one fighter has made it past the fifth round against the 25-year-old, journeyman Balam Hernandez Acosta. The Mexican was stopped in the eighth and final round in December. Kholmatov defeated two then-unbeaten opponents in his previous two fights, easily outpointing Andranik Grigorian and stopping Thomas Patrick Ward in the fifth. Kholmatov fights out of Hollywood, Florida. Ford also was a successful amateur in his country, the United States. The 24-year-old southpaw from Camden, New Jersey, is an excellent technician with exceptional speed and athleticism. And he is farther along than Kholmatov in his pro career, having already fought a former world titleholder. He defeated Jessie Magdaleno by a one-sided decision in his most-recent bout, last April. Ford failed to beat only Aaron Perez, against whom he fought to a draw in 2021. Kholmatov and Ford are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 by the WBA, respectively.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

SATURDAY

Jaouad Belmehdi vs. Alfred Lamptey, junior lightweights, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates