Xander Zayas vs Baraou in Puerto Rico: “It’s Time to Make History!”

Xander Zayas will defend his WBO junior middleweight title against Abass Baraou’s WBA version on January 31 in San Juan. It is only the second unification fight ever staged in Puerto Rico. The first was Miguel Cotto against Ricardo Mayorga in 2011. Zayas is 23. No active fighter holding two belts at the same weight is younger.

The fight happens at Coliseo de Puerto Rico. Zayas has not fought on the island in five years. He turned professional at 16 in Puerto Rico, then moved his career to the mainland. Now he returns with a title and an opponent who brings one of his own.

“This is the best opportunity of my career, not just because of what’s at stake, but because I’m coming back home in front of my people,” Zayas said after a recent training session. “It’s been five years, and I’ve wanted to return ever since, but I knew I had to wait for the right moment.”

Baraou Earned His Spot

Baraou took the WBA interim belt by stopping Yoenis Tellez in August. The Cuban was supposed to be the better fighter. Baraou dropped him in the final round and finished him there. The WBA elevated Baraou to full champion a month later. He is 17-1 with nine knockouts. The loss came early in his career. Since then, he has won 13 straight.

Baraou fights out of Germany. He turned professional in 2018 after a long amateur run. He is not known in the United States, which means most American fans will underestimate him. Zayas does not. They sparred together multiple times before either held a title.

“Baraou is a good, aggressive fighter,” Zayas said. “People underestimate him because he’s not well known in the United States, but I’ve shared the ring with him several times in sparring. I know what he brings, and he knows what I bring, so it’s going to be a big test for both of us.”

Zayas took the WBO title by outpointing Jorge Garcia in July. He was 22 then, the youngest world champion at any weight. He made six regional title defenses before that, beating fighters like Elias Espadas and Alexis Salazar. Both were Mexican veterans brought in to test him. He passed those tests without much trouble.

First Defenses Are Rarely This Hard

Most young champions take an easier fight for their first defense. Zayas chose Baraou instead. That decision says something about where he thinks he is. It also says something about the pressure of fighting at home. You cannot bring a soft opponent to San Juan and call it an event. Baraou is not soft.

“Everybody is used to seeing champions take softer touches for their first defense,” Zayas said. “But because I’m going back to my island, I needed to do something big and give something special to the fans. Baraou is also making his first defense, so we’ll see two young fighters who want to show that big unification fights are still possible.”

Zayas described his opponent with precision. “We’ve prepared for a warrior, someone who won’t stop coming forward. We know he’s going to throw a lot of punches. He’s not a better boxer, faster, smarter, or stronger, but he does have a lot of heart.”

That is a careful way of saying the German will not quit and cannot be broken by pressure. Zayas also said this is the best camp of his career. He feels stronger and sharper. Those are the things fighters say before every fight. What matters is whether he can handle a fighter who sparred with him when neither had anything to lose.

Baraou knows Zayas too. He knows the speed and the combinations. He knows what Zayas does when he is hurt or tired. That familiarity works both ways, but it tends to favor the fighter who applies pressure. Zayas is the boxer. Baraou is the one who comes forward. In San Juan, in front of a crowd that expects dominance, that dynamic could tilt.

If Zayas wins, he becomes the youngest unified champion in the sport. If he does it on the island, he becomes the first Puerto Rican to unify titles at home. “I want to be the first Puerto Rican to unify titles on the island,” Zayas said. “That’s really important to me because I want to keep making history and building my legacy.”