WBO Lets Oscar Collazo Carry Title Into Flyweight Fight

Oscar Collazo will receive full recognition as the WBO mini-flyweight champion when he walks to the ring for his October 10 challenge against WBA and WBC flyweight champion Ricardo Sandoval at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

The WBO approved his request through a formal resolution issued September 1. He may wear his 105-pound belt and receive an official introduction as the reigning champion before attempting to capture titles two divisions higher.

“OFFICIAL RESOLUTION: The WBO grants Oscar Collazo’s request as he pursues history as a two-division World Champion,” the organization posted on X.

The concession is mostly ceremonial. Collazo will vacate his WBO mini-flyweight title following the contest, regardless of the result. The organization will sanction an interim title bout between leading contenders to keep the 105-pound division active.

Allowing Collazo to carry the belt into the ring gives the DAZN co-feature a champion-versus-champion presentation without leaving his old division stalled for months. The WBO cited his loyalty, active reign, title record, and attempt to jump directly from 105 to 112 pounds.

That seven-pound climb represents nearly seven percent of Collazo’s usual championship weight. He is also approximately four inches shorter than the 5-foot-6 Sandoval, leaving him dependent on sharp entries against a natural flyweight with a dangerous straight right hand and uppercut.

The Puerto Rican’s southpaw stance offers him a route inside through his left hand to the body. Winning lead-foot position will be essential because Sandoval can punish predictable forward movement with the right hand. Collazo cannot simply force the exchanges that overwhelmed smaller 105-pound opponents.

Sandoval demonstrated his durability by recovering from a knockdown to defeat Kenshiro Teraji in Japan. His late-round output creates another concern for Collazo, who must prove that his pressure and punching power remain effective over 12 rounds against a larger opponent.

In June, Collazo stopped Neider Valdez in two rounds during his flyweight test, but Sandoval presents a completely different physical and tactical challenge. The WBO resolution lets him arrive as a champion. Keeping that status will require him to defeat the man waiting across the ring.

Share on Facebook

Post on X