Ruben Villa returns to action against Sulaiman Segawa with a title shot in his crosshairs
Ruben Villa is demonstrating one loss does not define a career. He has demonstrated he can defeat world titleholders as well.
Villa, rated No. 10 by The Ring at 126 pounds, is ready to again fight for a world title belt, but must first get by fringe contender Sulaiman Segawa Saturday night at the Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 10-round bout will take place on the undercard of the Raymond Muratalla-Tevin Farmer lightweight bout (previously headlined by the now cancelled Janibek Alimkhanuly-Andrei Mikhailovich unified world middleweight title fight) that will stream live on ESPN+ (6:50 p.m. ET/ 3:50 p.m. PT).
The southpaw Villa (22-1, 7 knockouts) last fought on April 13, defeating Cristian Cruz Chacon by unanimous decision. In his previous fight on September 15, Villa defeated former prospect Brandon Valdes by decision.
Villa has won his last four fights since losing a close unanimous decision to Emanuel Navarrete in October 2020. The vacant WBO featherweight title was up for grabs in a fight that saw Villa get dropped twice and two judges’ scorecards having Navarrete winning 114-112. Villa learned a lot about himself that night that made him a better fighter.
“It was the first time I had been knocked down in a fight,” Villa told The Ring on Monday. “What I took from that fight is that I could fight at the elite level. Look at the scores of the fight. I was able to get up twice and still made the fight close. I learned a lot about myself in terms of expereince and what I have to do to be a better fighter.
“I’m hungrier now. Top Rank has been keeping me busy. I want to put on dominant performances. Maybe it was a little too early in my career (to fight for a world title), but I wasn’t afraid to take that challenge. I learned from what happened and I know I will win a world title belt when given that opportunity.”
The 27-year-old Villa is ranked No. 1 by the WBC. Rey Vargas holds that sanctioning body’s world title belt. Villa is also ranked in the top 10 by two of boxing’s sanctioning organizations.
Villa is open to fighting any of the world titleholders, including IBF titleholder Luis ‘Venado’ Lopez. Villa did defeat Lopez in May 2019 on a ShoBox card. Ironically, Lopez is promoted by Top Rank and will defend the world title belt against Angelo Leo on August 10 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“It doesn’t matter which champion I fight,” said Villa, who previously fought under the Thompson Boxing banner before signing with Top Rank a few years ago. “I’ll fight them all. Obviously, there’s the ‘Venado’ fight. A rematch would be a fun fight. I’d love to fight him again.”
Villa resides in Salinas, California, where he has fought a handful of times as a pro. Famous for being surrounded by agricultural farmland, Salinas identifies as a blue-collar town, and has embraced Villa.
Over the last couple of years, Villa has given speeches to local high schools and programs to complete their education and be productive in society. His visibility in the city and surrounding area have not gone unnoticed, as people reach out to him for a picture or autograph in public or travel to his fights outside Salinas.
Villa appreciates the support, giving him more motivation to bring a world title to the city.
“Salinas is a prideful place,” said Villa. “Everyone in that town works hard. I’m grateful for my fan base. We were able to sell 100 tickets to Saturday’s card. I’m excited that the people in my hometown believe in me. I want to continue doing what’s right and repping my hometown to the best of my ability.”
Villa has come a long way since the loss to Navarrete. He counts on his work ethic and discipline in and out of the ring.
“I fight to be a better version of myself. I’ve become more comfortable with the style I’ve developed. I know fans want more action, so I’ve become more aggressive, which I’ve become more confident in.
“Life as a boxer is not easy. I just stay humble and grounded. My boxing skills and personality is who I am. Boxing is my life.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at santio89@yahoo.com
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