The undefeated welterweight Gor Yeritsyan is ready to make his mark on one of boxing’s glamor divisions.
The Freddie Roach-trained Yeritsyan (17-0, 14 KOs) again steps up on Friday when he fights Quinton Randall (13-1-1, 3 KOs) to headline a Tom Loefller 360 Promotions show at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.
“It’s my first main event on UFC Fight Pass so I want to make sure I am putting on a show,” Yeritsyan said. “I’ve been training very hard in this camp. Randall is a good opponent. I need good fights like this. I plan on being aggressive to win this fight via knockout.”
Randall should provide a tough test for Yeritsyan. The 33 year old from Texas is coming off a unanimous decision loss by the undefeated Top Rank prospect Brian Norman Jr in November.
Yeritsyan, 29, had an active 2023 in which he fought three times, following a two-and-a-half-year layoff. Frequent fights were made possible because he signed a promotional pact with Loeffler. Yeritsyan last earned an eight-round unanimous decision in November over Luis Alberto Veron, after successive second-round knockouts.
The Los Angeles-based Armenian credits his ascent to his Hall-of-Fame coach.
“I’m getting stronger and much better with each fight,” said Yeritsyan. “Freddie is not only a trainer and teacher, he’s my big brother; he’s my father; he’s my everything. I love him and I’m thankful for him.”
Yeritsyan is looking to follow in the footsteps of multi-division champions and Armenian icons like Vic Darchinyan and Arthur Abraham to become a world titlist.
Cruiserweights Arsen Goulamirian and Norair Mikaelian are the only active Armenians who hold world titles. Yeritsyan is part of a young group of undefeated Armenian fighters looking to join that club; the super middleweight Erik Bazinyan and heavyweight Gurgen Hovhannisyan are others.
In order to challenge for the welterweight throne held by Terence Crawford and Jarron “Boots” Ennis, Yeritsyan will first have to climb the relevant sanctioning bodies’ rankings.
Loeffler, incidentally, has already guided Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk into a fight for the vacant WBC light middleweight title against Sebastian Fundora on March 30.
Yeritsyan said he’s confident in his chances of glory if a fight against Ennis ever happens. He’s also aware that he’d likely have to first face a former world titleholder, and mentioned Robert Guerrero as the ideal opponent against which to further prove himself.
“I’m ready to fight everyone at 147lbs,” he said. “I don’t have time to waste. I’m ready for my world-title opportunity. I’m ready to fight whoever Mr Loeffler wants me to.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.