The show goes on and with the stakes raised for the evening’s new main event in Managua.

Kevin Vivas and Rene Santiago were both under the junior flyweight limit for their upgraded interim WBO title fight. The regionally-based Vivas was 107.4 pounds, while Puerto Rico’s Santiago was 107.6 pounds for their scheduled 12-round makeshift headliner Friday evening on ESPN+ and ESPN Knockout from Polideportivo Alexis Arguello in Managua, Nicaragua.

As previously reported by krikya360.com, Vivas-Santiago was advanced to the top spot late Wednesday evening. The change came once it was learned that full WBO 108-pound titlist Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez (27-3-1, 14KOs) fell ill during fight week and was no longer able to proceed with his planned title defense. Puerto Rico’s Gonzalez was due to face local contender Gerardo Zapata, who was already a replacement for an ill Leyman Benavides.

Zapata will no longer appear on the show, as the decision was made to keep the rest of the show intact rather than break up any other of the undercard fights.

Santiago (11-3, 8KOs) previously sought to challenge Gonzalez, given the long-standing rivalry between the diminutive Boricuas. The 31-year-old from Humacao can now position himself for a mandatory shot at the title. He has won his last two starts since a ten-round points loss to Yudel Reyes last April in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Santiago last fought in a ninth-round knockout of Carlos Ortega on April 14 in Panama City, Panama.

Vivas (7-0, 2KOs) enters his biggest fight to date just shy of his three-year pro anniversary. The 28-year-old from Nindiri has gone the distance in each of his last four contests, including back-to-back split decision victories over countryman Byron Castellon.

ESPN+ undercard weights, 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT

8 Rounds Welterweights TV #4

Harvin “Manimal” Aguirre (8-0, 6KOs), Panama City, Panama, 146.4 pounds vs. Israel Lopez (11-3-1, 8KOs), Tipitapa, Nicaragua,, 146.4 pounds—8 rounds, welterweight

Eveling Ortega (5-4, 2KOs), Acoyapa, Nicaragua, 107.6 pounds vs. Silvia Duran (3-1, 2KOs), San Jose, Costa Rica, 110 pounds—8 rounds, junior flyweight

*Duran 2 lb. over limit, regional title only at stake for Ortega

Gerardo  Sanchez (8-1, 5KOs), Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 107.4 pounds vs. Eduardo Ajito (11-0, 5KOs), Callao, Peru, 106.6 pounds—8 rounds, junior flyweight

Alex Vallecillo (4-0, 4KOs), Managua, 120 pounds vs. Cristian Jimenez (5-0, 4KOs), San Salvador, El Salvador, 121.6 pounds—6 rounds, junior featherweight

Michael Carmona (3-0, 1KO), Jinotepe, Nicaragua, 104.6 pounds vs. Miguel Tercero (2-3, 0KOs) Chinandega, Nicaragua, 107.8 pounds—4 rounds, junior flyweight

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox