The chance to become undisputed champion would be a dream come true for Seniesa Estrada.
Just not the end game.
The two-division and reigning WBC/WBA strawweight champion is set for her long-awaited grudge match versus Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle, who will risk her IBF and WBO belts. Barring a draw or No-Contest, an undisputed champion will be crowned for the first time ever at strawweight, male or female.
Estrada hopes it to be the first of several divisions where she can achieve that status.
“I just hope to please my fans that night by becoming undisputed,” Estrada told ESPN’s Crystina Poncher during a recent kickoff press conference at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. “My goal is to be undisputed in multiple weight classes.
“After that, I want to move up whether it’s flyweight or [junior] flyweight and do the same there as well.”
Estrada-Valle will serve as the co-feature of a March 29 ESPN+ telecast from Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The show’s headliner pits former two-division titlist Oscar Valdez (31-2, 23KOs) and former title challenger Liam Wilson (13-2, 7KOs) in a junior lightweight battle.
East Los Angeles’ Estrada (25-0, 9KOs) previously held the WBO title at junior flyweight in 2022 and the interim WBA flyweight title in 2019 before she dropped back down in weight. The bulk of her success has come at strawweight, where she is a perfect 5-0 in major title fights.
Among her most notable feats at the weight were shutout victories in two title winning efforts. Estrada soundly outpointed WBA titlist Anabel Ortiz in March 2021 and then-unbeaten WBC claimant Tina Rupprecht in their unification bout last March 25 in Fresno, California.
Valle (30-2, 9KOs) has won titles at atomweight, strawweight and junior flyweight. The latter two divisions have seen the Nicaragua-born, Costa Rica-bred star enjoy unified title reigns and she has held the IBF strawweight belt since August 2019. Nine defenses have followed for Valle, who is 12-1 in full title fights.
The fact that Estrada is not a runaway favorite in this fight—even money according to bet365 and a slight -125 favorite according to FanDuel—underlines how big of a win this would be for her already stellar career.
“It would mean everything,” noted Estrada. “It would solidify that I am pound-for-pound one of the best champions. I don’t just want to be known as a great female fighter. I want to be known as a great fighter in general.
“Even though the buildup has been years in the making, there’s no better time than right now. Thank you for making the fight happen as well.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox
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