The Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Miss. hosts ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” on Feb 6 as middleweights Sergio Mora and Abraham Han square off for the vacant USBA title.
The match was originally scheduled to feature Mora facing IBF World titlist Jermain Taylor for a piece of the world belt, but Taylor is in jail and Han was found as a late replacement. Mora was a slight betting favorite against Taylor, and he will likely be a solid favorite over Han when the line hits for this one.
It is hard to believe that Mora is still out there, as he has been around for a long time. It has been more than 10 years since he won the “Contender” TV show, and his win over Vernon Forrest that saw him hold the WBC World Super Welterweight title for three months in now over six years ago. Mora is still just 34 years old, and he has put together a solid streak, winning four in a row to earn the IBF title bid. Though he has to feel some disappointment at being downgraded to a regional belt, he needs to be cautious of a letdown against Han.
If you’re not familiar with Han, his general story is the same as Chris Algieri, a kickboxing champion who has come over to boxing and adapted very well. At 23-1, he has risen to be a top 50 middleweight.
Make no mistake about it, taking the fight with Mora on short notice is a gutsy move, as Mora is by far the stiffest test he has faced in his boxing career. The question for Han becomes, what will Sergio Mora be to him? Will Mora be his Ruslan Provodnikov, as defeating the Russian catapulted Algieri to the front line of the boxing world, or will Mora be his Manny Pacquiao, signalling Han’s run all ends here.
For those who may not be familiar with Abraham Han, here is a two minute hype video including some of his kickboxing stuff.
