Ricardo Sandoval Risks WBA and WBC Flyweight Titles Against Late Replacement Mendoza
Ricardo Sandoval defends both flyweight belts against Sergio Mendoza on October 10 in Chicago after Oscar Collazo pulled out injured.
Ricardo Sandoval will defend his WBA and WBC flyweight titles against Sergio Mendoza on October 10 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, per Boxing News 24. The fight lands on the DAZN-streamed card headlined by Floyd Schofield III vs. Lucas Bahdi for the WBA lightweight title.
Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) was supposed to face Oscar Collazo, a compact southpaw moving up to flyweight. Sandoval spent months training specifically for Collazo's style. That preparation went out the window when Collazo suffered an injury and had to withdraw.
Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs) steps in as the replacement. The 27-year-old Mexican puncher is dangerous but comes with a significant red flag on his resume. Thanongsak Simsri stopped him in the second round during their fight in Japan this past April. That kind of early stoppage raises questions about his chin at the highest level.
"I'm very excited to still be fighting in Chicago and to have the opportunity to defend my titles for the first time," Sandoval said.
Mendoza was equally direct. "I'm going to leave my soul in the ring to become world champion."
The physical matchup creates an interesting dynamic. Sandoval stands 5-foot-6 while Mendoza has roughly two inches on him at 5-foot-8. Sandoval will need to adjust his range and timing after spending camp preparing for a shorter, differently styled opponent. That kind of late switch is never easy, especially when you are the one with two belts on the line.
Late opponent switches are one of the most underrated challenges in boxing. Sandoval built an entire camp around Collazo, a compact southpaw with a specific style, and now he has to recalibrate for a taller, orthodox puncher in Mendoza with about two weeks' notice. That is not nothing when you have two world titles at stake.
Mendoza has pop. Twenty-three knockouts in 28 fights is serious power for the flyweight division. But that second-round stoppage loss to Simsri in April worries me. If you get taken out that early, there are durability questions. Sandoval has the skills to find Mendoza's chin if it is there to be found.
I expect Sandoval to handle business. He is the more complete fighter, he is fighting at home in Chicago, and Mendoza has not faced anyone close to this level outside the Simsri fight, which he lost badly. But flyweight title fights with big punchers always carry knockout risk. Sandoval should not get careless.
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/09/ricardo-sandoval-risks-two-titles-against-sergio-mendoza/
