The Top Rank-promoter Xander Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) will fight for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title against Jorge Garcia (33-4, 26 KOs) this Saturday, July 26, on ESPN and ESPN+ from Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City.
It’s a fight that will show whether Top Rank’s hard work will pay off with Zayas, 22, capturing a world title. They’ve worked the Puerto Rican native Zayas into this spot without any issues, but now he has to show whether he has actual talent against world-class opposition. Garcia has the kind of power and offensive ability that Xander has never seen before.
“Xander Zayas is a very technical fighter. He uses his distance and moves around the ring really well. He’s a complete fighter and he’s like that,” said Jorge Garcia to Fighthype. “He has a polished boxing style, and he’s there for a reason, classified as #1 for the [WBO] title.”
Zayas is #1 with the WBO because he’s not had to fight any of the solid 154-lb contenders in the division. His wins have come against fighters like Slawa Spomer, Damian Sosa, and Patrick Teixeira. Xander hasn’t been matched tough by his promoters at Top Rank.
If they’d put Zayas in with Vergil Ortiz Jr., Israil Madrimov, or Jaron Ennis, he’d have lost already, likely to all three fighters. He’s a product of matchmaking, which we’re seeing more and more now.
Fundora Unification Talk
“He can’t see [translation: fight] from the distance. He fights on the inside because he has to. I bet if he could see from the distance, he would use that 81+ reach,” said Xander Zayas to Fighthype about Sebastian Fundora.
Xander is looking beyond his fight with Jorge Garcia for what he hopes will be a unification match against WBC 154-lb champion Sebastian Fundora. It’s way too early for Zayas to be talking about that fight because he could lose to Garcia on Saturday.
“I don’t know. I want to focus on Jorge Garcia first, and take care of business on July 26th. Then we can sit down with all these fighters and teams and discuss what’s next,” said Zayas when asked if Vergil Ortiz Jr. or Fundora would be the easier fight for him to make.
It’s way too early for Zayas to be talking about a unification fight against Sebastian Fundora. Garcia is a massive step up in talent from the opposition that Top Rank has been matching against Xander during his six-year pro career. They’ve been matching him more like a prospect than a fighter who has received a lot of hype based on their lofty projections.
Zayas Future Opponents
“I guarantee you that I want to fight whoever it is, the top dog in the division, after I become a world champion,” said Zayas.
I didn’t like the way Zayas dodged the questions when asked if he’d like to fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. Instead of readily agreeing, as he’d done about Fundora, he said, “We’ll have to sit down and talk.” The lack of eagerness in Xander’s face and words showed that he’s not interested in fighting either of those fighters.
Zayas vs Garcia Title Fight – Saturday, July 26 (MSG Theater, NYC)
Main Card (LIVE on ESPN/ESPN+/ESPN Deportes, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT)
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Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia – 12 rounds, WBO Junior Middleweight Title
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Bruce Carrington vs. Mateus Heita – 12 rounds, WBC Interim Featherweight Title
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Emiliano Vargas vs. Alexander Espinoza – 8 rounds, Junior Welterweight
Undercard (LIVE on ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT)
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Rohan Polanco vs. Quinton Randall – 10 rounds, WBO Intercontinental Welterweight Title
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Yan Santana vs. Aaron Alameda – 10 rounds, Vacant NABO Featherweight Title
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Steven Navarro vs. Cristopher Rios – 8 rounds, NABF Jr. Bantamweight Title
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Juanmita Lopez De Jesus vs. Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez – 4 rounds, Jr. Bantamweight
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Julius Ballo vs. Brandan Ayala – 4 rounds, Featherweight
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Jalolov vs. Cardillo canceled because Cardillo pulled out sick—literally.
What Time Does the Madness Start?
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Date: Saturday, July 26, 2025
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Venue: The Theater at Madison Square Garden, NYC
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Main Card:
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🇺🇸 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
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🇬🇧 2:00 a.m. BST (Sunday)
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🇪🇺 3:00 a.m. CET (Sunday)
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Watch on: ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
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Tickets: On sale now via Ticketmaster
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Promoters: Top Rank, Zanfer, Golden Boy (all hedging their futures on this going well)
Final Punch
If Zayas wins, the coronation begins. If he gets clipped and folds under pressure, you’ll hear the crash all the way back in San Juan. Carrington’s flashy, Vargas is hungry—but MSG doesn’t hand out passes.
Will the hype survive? Or are we about to watch three careers hit a wall?
See you Saturday.