Collazo Steps Up in Weight to Save Saturday's Fight Card

Oscar Collazo and Neider Valdez Aguilar faced off during the weigh-in on Friday ahead of their flyweight catchweight bout scheduled for Saturday in Oceanside. In an unusual twist, Collazo will not be defending his titles during this match, nor will he compete in his usual weight class.

After visa complications eliminated both Joey Canoy and a proposed replacement, Luis Castillo, from the event, the addition of Neider Valdez Aguilar did not meet the ranking requirements for a legitimate 105-pound title fight under the WBA or WBO. To keep the event from being canceled entirely, promoters adjusted the match to take place at flyweight, which is 112 pounds—two divisions above where Collazo has competed as champion.

This marks the first occasion since his third professional fight in 2021 that Collazo has fought outside the minimum weight category. To provide some level of official recognition, the WBO designated this match for its International flyweight title, although it is considered a secondary title rather than a true world championship. The WBA chose not to sanction the bout.

Both fighters easily made the 112-pound limit during the weigh-in, with Collazo weighing in at 110.5 pounds and Valdez at 111.25 pounds. The primary goal for this matchup is not championship glory but rather to ensure that the complete seven-fight card and its undercard participants receive their payments, following a week of visa-related turmoil that nearly jeopardized the event.

For Collazo, this fight poses a significant risk to his unbeaten record against a larger opponent in a weight class he has rarely entered, while Valdez finds himself in a position of being a live underdog with nothing to lose.