Heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings is starting 2019 with a main event fight on ESPN+.
Top Rank announced that Jennings will fight Oscar Rivas on January 18, 2019 in the main event of an ESPN+ card at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. The fight will be for the IBF International, NABF and NABO heavyweight titles.
Jennings will look to extend his win streak to six fights since losing two straight bouts against Wladimir Klitschko and Luis Ortiz in 2015. Jennings, ranked by all four major governing bodies at heavyweight including a No. 2 spot in the WBO rankings, has not fought since August when he stopped Alexander Dimitrenko in the main event of an ESPN card from Atlantic City.
While Jennings is assured a fight on January 18, it should be noted that Rivas' participation in the bout against Jennings is contingent on him defending his NABF title on December 1 against Fabio Maldonado in Quebec City. Rivas, ranked No. 14 in the WBC and IBF rankings, has held the NABF title since 2017 and is undefeated, emerging victorious in all 24 of his pro bouts.
Also announced for the card is featherweight prospect Shakur Stevenson competing in the co-main event against an opponent to be named at a later date. Stevenson, a silver medalist from the 2016 Olympics, is currently undefeated as a pro, winning all nine of his fights in the paid ranks. Stevenson is currently ranked No. 12 in the official IBF rankings at featherweight.
