The desert stadium playing host to undefeated fighters this weekend

An intriguing fight card takes place this weekend when Mirco Cuello and Sergio Rios Jimenez meet.

The event, which takes place on Friday night and is broadcast exclusively on DAZN, will see two unbeaten fighters – always an intriguing proposition – face off. The Argentinian Cuello, 15-0 (12), comes into the bout after three fights in the US, registering decisions over Rudy Garcia and Sulaiman Segawa in 2023 and 2024, and stopping Christian Olivo Barreda in February.

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According to the WBA, which is sanctioning the bout: “Cuello, 24 years old and a native of Arroyo Seco, arrives as number one in the WBA featherweight world ranking, after his agonizing victory by technical knockout against Christian Olivo in February. A youth Olympic medallist in Buenos Aires 2018, the Santa Fe native has built a solid career with victories in Uruguay, the United States and now seeks to consecrate himself on African soil, in what will be his seventh consecutive appearance outside Argentina.”

Jimenez, 19-0 (7), hails from Mexico and comes into the fight on the back of two stoppage wins against undistinguished opposition in 2024 and 2025.

On the undercard of Cuello-Jimenez is perennial contender Mike Perez, 31-3-1 (22), who challenged Alexander Povetkin in 2015 for the WBC heavyweight title. The Cuban Perez will be taking on Christian Fabian Luis, 12-4 (8), over ten rounds at cruiserweight.

Perhaps the most-intriguing aspect of the evening, titled KO a las Drogas (KO to Drugs), is that it will take place at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benghazi, Libya.

The stadium, originally named after Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez until the Libyan revolution in 2011, is now named after the freedom fighters who helped overthrow Colonel Gaddafi and his regime. For football games, it seats around 10,500 spectators.

The use of Libya as a destination for international boxing is an interesting one. Despite moves towards democracy, the political climate of the nation is still rocky.

Says the German government: “The security situation in Libya remains unstable. The country is divided at both the political and societal level. Since March 2022, two governments are once again vying for political power and most state institutions are paralysed nationwide. The internationally recognised government in Tripoli, which controls parts of western Libya, faces a rival government that rules large sections in the east and south. Both sides are receiving foreign support.”

Other sources support this view.

Writing back in April, the United Nations said that while the 2020 ceasefire remains in place, the security landscape remains ‘precarious’ and is marked by periodic tension and localised outbreaks of violence.

As to why this weekend’s event is taking place in Libya, the WBA says that the country’s inclusion as the host of the ‘WBA Future program’ represents a ‘historic breakthrough’ in professional boxing.

The organisation adds: “The World Boxing Association promotes a card of international scope in North Africa, with the aim of promoting peace, inclusion and sports development.”

It goes on: “The WBA Future is not only committed to the discovery of new talents, but also turns boxing into an educational and social platform, reaffirming its role as a tool for transformation. With this initiative, Libya is positioned as the epicentre of the boxing scene in Africa.”

As it is, the event in Benghazi this weekend remains an interesting one. While Cuello and Jimenez are both undefeated, there a handful of interesting fights. At light-heavyweight, there is a twelve-round bout between Albert Ramirez, 21-0-0 (18), and Jerome Pampellone, 19-2 (12). At lightweight, Francisco Fonseca, 36-4-2 (29), will take on Sodiane Oumiha, 6-0 (3), over ten rounds. Super-featherweights Josue Francisco Aguero, 13-0 (7), and Diego Ortiz Aleman, 20-3-1 (14), also meet over ten rounds.

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