Once, Felix Verdejo was a highly-touted prospect on the brink of fighting for a world title, but now, Verdejo is returning home to Puerto Rico for his first fight since losing a boxing match for the first time in his pro career.
Verdejo is set to fight in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico on November 10 and will face off against Yardley Armenta Cruz. The fight marks the first time Verdejo returns to Puerto Rico in more than 20 months when he was the WBO Latino lightweight titleholder.
At one point in 2016, Verdejo was close to signing a deal to fight then-WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan towards the end of the year. Verdejo would suffer a motorcycle accident that left him unable to fight until 2017. Verdejo would fight just once in 2017, and the inactivity almost put him out of the WBO rankings entirely, but it was earlier this year when Verdejo would take a massive step back in his career.
On the undercard of a Top Rank card at Madison Square Garden in March, Verdejo got his first defeat when he got dropped by Ines Antonio Lozada Torres and then lost a decision. Now, the 25-year-old Verdejo isn't ranked in any of the four governing bodies with no world title opportunity coming soon.
Armenta sports a 27-11 record as a pro, but the list of notable opponents that he has faced is extensive. Armenta has fought the likes of Billy Dib, Alberto Machado, Ryan Garcia, Richard Commey and Mario Barrios.
