During the season finale of The Contender, while Sergio Mora and Peter Manfredo Jr., were still fighting, Sylvester Stallone insisted that there should be a rematch between the two.
Now, before an expected crowd of 12,000 at the Staples Center, Mora returns to face Manfredo in a ring within a bus token of the Latin Snake’s home turf on Whittier and Hendrix, about 10 miles east of downtown L.A. The fight will be shown on ESPN on Saturday (11 p.m. ET).
“The thing is, it’s in my hometown," said Mora (16-0, 3 KOs). "It’s exciting for me because a lot of my family who couldn’t see it before can get to see it."
Last year, the little-known Mora emerged from a pack of prizefighters to become the sensation of the reality television show that had many different time slots on NBC. When the finale was held in Las Vegas May 24, an estimated 14 million viewers tuned in to watch Mora win a unanimous decision over Manfredo at Caesars Palace before a turn-away crowd.
Manfredo tells ESPN, “This time I’m going to be ready for Sergio. Last time I underestimated him. I won’t do that this time.”
The two will fight at the Staples Center. Undercard fights will feature Alfonso S. Gomez vs. Luciano Perez, Anthony Bonsante vs. Jesse Brinkley, Jonathan Reid vs. Miguel Espino, and Juan De La Rosa vs. Carlos Orta, according to a press release.