Rafael Espinoza Gets Late Replacement as Ricardo Blandon Steps In for WBO Title Fight

Rafael Espinoza has a new opponent just one week before his WBO featherweight title defense. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri confirmed that No. 15-ranked Ricardo Blandon has been approved to replace mandatory challenger Lorenzo Parra for Espinoza’s Oct. 31 defense in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

According to the WBO advisory, Canelo Promotions informed the sanctioning body that the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission would not authorize Parra to participate under its rules and policies. The WBO did not specify the reason for that decision, so reports attributing Parra’s removal to a particular medical issue should be treated cautiously. Blandon’s approval remains subject to the applicable medical and regulatory requirements. The fight is scheduled for the Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli undercard.

The late switch changes the final week for both fighters. Espinoza, the unbeaten WBO champion, must adjust after preparing for Parra, while Blandon receives a world-title opportunity with extremely limited preparation time. Espinoza has emerged as one of the division’s most dangerous champions and has openly discussed bigger featherweight fights, including a possible future showdown with Naoya Inoue. First, however, he must navigate an opponent change that arrived only days before fight night.