Yafai puts WBA belt on the line against four-weight great Chocolatito

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New York, January 17: Kal Yafai's WBA world super-flyweight title defence against Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez has been added to the undercard for Mikey Garcia versus Jessie Vargas in Frisco, Texas, on February 29.

Yafai (26-0) has held the WBA belt since December 2016 but has secured a considerable challenge in the form of Gonzalez (48-2), a former four-weight champion.

The Nicaraguan, one of the outstanding pound-for-pound fighters of the past decade, previously reigned as the WBC super-fly king prior to consecutive defeats to Wisaksil Wangek in 2017.

Yafai had failed to secure a meeting with existing WBC champion Juan Francisco Estrada before this bout was agreed and announced by Matchroom on Thursday.

The Briton said: "I wanted the biggest possible fight available and, after the Juan Francisco Estrada unification fell through, I had the opportunity to fight 'Chocolatito', the former pound-for-pound king.

"'Chocolatito' is someone that I have idolised as I worked my way up to become world champion myself. So it doesn't get much bigger than this.

"It will bring out the best in me. I can't wait. It is a case of when idols become rivals. I'm so honoured to share the ring with him but also show the world that I am an elite world champion."