Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada set to Return in July

By: Kirk Jackson

One of the best fighters, pound-for-pound Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (24-0, 9 KO’s) will defend her WBC and WBA minimumweight world titles against Argentina’s former world champion Leonela Yudica (19-1-3, 1 KO) on Friday, July 28 at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

“Seniesa Estrada is one of the very best fighters on the planet and is only getting better with every fight,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.

“Yudica is an experienced championship-level fighter who will be undeterred fighting on the big stage. I expect a sensational fight on July 28, along with a co-feature between Cortes and Martinez that promises fireworks.”
 

Estrada is a 12-year professional, competing at the world class level in three weight classes. One of her major achievements is in 2019, defeating U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza, to capture the WBA interim flyweight world title.

Two years later, she captured the WBA minimumweight and WBO light flyweight titles in fights against Anabel Ortiz and Tenkai Tsunami respectively. Estrada then vacated those belts to pursue undisputed dominance at minimumweight.

After some promotional issues and delays to the ring, Estrada signed with Top Rank in 2022 and returned from a nearly 11-month layoff in November of that year, to decisively beat Jazmin Gala Villarino.

And “Super Bad” followed up on that performance this past March, adding the WBC belt to her collection with a shutout win over the previously unbeaten Tina Rupprecht.

 
“I am willing to fight any woman in or around my weight class, and I respect Yudica for accepting the challenge,” Estrada said.

“My goal is to become the undisputed champion at minimumweight, but I can’t achieve that goal without defeating Yudica first. She is standing in my way, and I am coming to Las Vegas to make an emphatic statement.”

 
Yudica debuted as a professional in April of 2012 and captured the IBF flyweight world title with a split decision win against Gabriela Bouvier in December 2014.

She held the title for nearly eight years, fighting to a draw in her first defense against Vanesa Lorena Taborda in 2015, before defending it seven times.

Yudica is a native of San Juan, Argentina, and she lost her IBF world title in a tightly contested, split-decision defeat, to Arely Muciño in October 2022, and is coming off a 10-round decision victory over Tamara Elisabet Demarco in April. 

 
“I’m taking this amazing opportunity to show the world what Argentinian fighters are made of. I’m bringing the belts back home to San Juan with me,” said Yudica.

While this is a great opportunity as Yudica mentioned, and she is a well-established former world champion, she is entering this match as the perceived “opponent” for the star of the show who is Estrada.

This will be a tall task for the Argentinian who is facing one of the best boxers presently pound-for-pound.

In the 10-round super featherweight co-feature, unbeaten Las Vegas native Andres “Savage” Cortes (19-0, 10 KO’s) faces on top contender Xavier Martinez (18-1, 12 KO’s) of Sacramento. This match-up could steal the show; two highly touted fighters with much on the line to fight for.

The entire Estrada-Yudica card will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.