The fight is official. On June 27, Xander Zayas will defend his WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles against Jaron Ennis at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The bout will air live on DAZN PPV as part of a joint event between Matchroom Boxing and Top Rank.
Zayas enters as the unified champion. He's 23-0 with 13 knockouts and will be making the first defense of the unified titles he captured earlier this year. His January win over Abass Baraou made him the youngest unified champion in boxing and the first Puerto Rican to reach that mark at 154 pounds.
Ennis brings a different kind of pressure. He's 35-0 with 31 knockouts, though some records list him at 35-0 with one no contest. Either way, his reputation is clear. He is one of the most dangerous undefeated fighters in the sport and is now moving up to junior middleweight for his first title shot in the division.
This matchup came together quickly. Ennis initially targeted a fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr., but that fell apart after legal issues involving Golden Boy Promotions stalled negotiations. Once Matchroom and Top Rank aligned on DAZN, the Zayas fight moved into place.
Now it's set - and it matters. Zayas is defending his position as the emerging face of the 154-pound division. Ennis is stepping into a new weight class with the goal of taking control immediately.
The winner won't just leave with belts. They'll leave with momentum - and a strong claim as the division's leading name heading into the second half of 2026.
