Nwokolo battles Sanchez in third WBA title defence

Nigerian-American boxer Emeka Nwokolo will put his WBA-NABA super welterweight title on the line for the third time when he battles Argentina’s Jonathan Sanchez on Saturday, October 10, at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California.

The 10-round fight will be one of the bouts on the “Champions of Tomorrow” card, which KO Productions and Red Boxing are staging.

Undefeated prospect Julius “JuJu” Ballo headlines the night, while Jonny Mansour features in the co-main event. Doors open at 5pm, the first fight is scheduled for 6pm, and the card will be streamed live on Adrenaline TV. Tickets cost between $85 and $200.

The 33-year-old, who fights under the moniker “Lion Heart 7o7”, has a record of 17 wins and one defeat, with 14 knockouts. He is the son of Nigerian boxing legend Charles Nwokolo and also holds the WBF International, UBO International, American Boxing Federation and UBO world titles, which makes him a five-belt champion.

Nwokolo returned in June from a year-long injury layoff, stopping Britain’s Darren Hamilton in the third round at the Motor City Casino in Detroit, Michigan.

He floored Hamilton twice in the round, and the second knockdown ended the fight. It was his first outing since July 2025, when he retained the belt with a unanimous decision over Jose Luis Sanchez in Temecula, California.

After the Hamilton win, Nwokolo said he wanted a title defence next.

“The next thing I would love to do is defend my belt, defend my title in the ring. My opponents are running from me, and I have not gotten any challengers, but I remain in wait for them,” he said.

That challenger has now come in Sanchez, nicknamed “Chucaro”, who hails from Puerto Madryn in Argentina. He has 27 wins, eight defeats and one draw, with 13 knockouts, and the fight will be his debut in the United States.