Valle On The Hunt For Fundora After Beating Esparza
In her first fight at flyweight, Yokasta “Yoka” Valle (33-3, 10KO) knocked Marlen Esparza (15-3, 1KO) out of title contention. However, she isn’t ready to take on the undisputed champion Gabriela “Sweet Poison” Fundora (15-0, 7KO).
Yoka a current WBC minimum weight champion took on top former unified champion/top-rated challenger Marlen Esparza. The Costa Rican fought well off the front foot behind the jab and threw hard shots to the body. Her speed, combination and accurate punching resulted in two judges scored it 97-93, in her favor. While one judge scored it 96-94 for the Texan.
Yoka could try to push for a showdown with Sweet Poison, but that would be a big mistake. She needs to sharpen up on defense and footwork because the undisputed champion is a sniper with that jab and straight left hand.
In addition, Yoka looked a little sloppy towards the end, which means she needs more time to adjust to the weight. By defeating Esparza, she will undoubtedly get a huge bump in the rankings and the temptation to become a three-weight division champion is hard to resist.
Yet, in this author’s opinion, she should return to minimum weight and defend the title. Or look take another fight with a top contender before looking to take on Fundora.
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