Xander Zayas: "It's Time to Make History!"

Xander Zayas: "It's Time to Make History!"

Zayas faces Abass Baraou in a junior middleweight unification showdown Saturday, Jan. 31, at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan

DAVIE, Fla. (Jan. 14, 2026) — Xander Zayas is focused on making history.

The 23-year-old Puerto Rican star and WBO junior middleweight world champion will face Germany's relentless WBA king Abass Baraou in a unification showdown on Saturday, Jan. 31, at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in his hometown of San Juan.

Zayas-Baraou marks just the second unification clash ever held on the island and gives Zayas the opportunity to become the youngest active unified champ and the first Boricua to do it on home turf.Promoted by Top Rank, in association with ICON+, Move Concerts, and Noah Assad Presents, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased via Ticketera.com.Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) claimed a pair of regional titles in 2022 with wins over Mexican veterans Elias Espadas and Alexis Salazar. He made six defenses in his path to securing the No. 1 spot in the WBO rankings. He realized his lifelong dream by outpointing Jorge Garcia last July to capture the title, becoming the youngest world champion at the time. Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) turned professional in 2018 after a decorated amateur career. He seized the WBA interim title with an upset of Cuban phenom Yoenis Tellez last August and was elevated to full champion the following month. Baraou closed the show against Tellez with a furious 12th-round assault that culminated in a dramatic knockdown.

Following a recent training session at head trainer Javiel Centeno's Sweatbox Boxing Gym, this is what Zayas had to say:

“This is the best opportunity of my career, not just because of what’s at stake, but because I’m coming back home in front of my people. It’s been five years, and I’ve wanted to return ever since, but I knew I had to wait for the right moment. Now it’s here on January 31, when I return as a world champion.”

“I want to be the first Puerto Rican to unify titles on the island. That’s really important to me because I want to keep making history and building my legacy. ”

“Everybody is used to seeing champions take softer touches for their first defense. But because I’m going back to my island, I needed to do something big and give something special to the fans. Baraou is also making his first defense, so we’ll see two young fighters who want to show that big unification fights are still possible.”

“Baraou is a good, aggressive fighter. People underestimate him because he’s not well known in the United States, but I’ve shared the ring with him several times in sparring. I know what he brings, and he knows what I bring, so it’s going to be a big test for both of us on January 31.”

“We’ve prepared for a warrior, someone who won’t stop coming forward. We know he’s going to throw a lot of punches. He’s not a better boxer, faster, smarter, or stronger, but he does have a lot of heart.”

“This is the best camp of my career. I’ve grown so much physically and mentally. I can see it in how I look when I spar, how I feel during training, and how hard I’m pushing myself. It's time to make history!”