Photos courtesy of Nike
Under the guidance of head trainer Virgil Hunter, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and highly-decorated amateur fighter, Marlen Esparza will make her pro debut on Thursday, March 23, 2017 in on the inaugural Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN fight card.
The 27-year-old Esparza, who won 12 consecutive US national amateur championships, will participate in a four-round Flyweight fight against Rachel Sazoff (0-2).
The fights will air live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes at 10:00 pm, EST/7:00 pm, PST.
“Honestly, I just want to get this fight over with! The first fight after a long period of time is the hardest, but my trainer Virgil Hunter has prepared me well to step back in. I know it won’t be the prettiest fight in terms of fighting style, but I need this fight to get back into the Marlen Esparza that was in the Olympics,” said Esparza.
Esparza, who has been training alongside two-time Olympic gold medal winner Nicola Adams, is feeling good ahead of her pro debut.
“I feel pretty confident–come fight night, I will be wearing make-up, with my hair done because when I look good, I feel good which makes me fight well. I’m expecting an aggressive fighter, so I’m slowing down my training to just zone out and mentally be there,” said Esparza.
Video by Golden Boy Promotions
