World championships medalist and multi-time national champion Freudis Rojas Jr., will return to his hometown of Las Vegas for his Sin City debut this Saturday, July 15. Rojas will take on Diego Santiago Sanchez in a 10-round welterweight bout on the undercard of Frank Martin vs. Artem Harutyunyan at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
The former amateur standout and undefeated pro hasn’t fought in his hometown of Las Vegas since an amateur tournament in 2017. Much like his USA Boxing national team days, Rojas has fought in multiple countries and three different states since entering the paid ranks, but he is looking forward to fighting in front of his family and friends in his eleventh professional fight.
“I’m excited to have my first pro fight here in Las Vegas, and being on a card like this is a real opportunity for me. It’s a blessing to fight here in Vegas because I have a lot of friends and family here who have been supportive of me and can come out and see me fight,” Rojas said.
Saturday’s bout will be Rojas’ first scheduled 10-rounder and he is prepared to go the full distance despite not having fought past four rounds in his ten professional bouts. The 6-2 welterweight is known for his elite level movement and unique style that gives everyone he steps in the ring with challenges.
As he prepares his first fight on the infamous Las Vegas strip, he looks back on a time when his entire family shared a budget studio hotel room on Flamingo and Boulder highway while he was in high school and he is proud of how far he and his family have come.
The Chaparelle High School graduate and his family relocated to Houston in 2021, and Rojas purchased a house for he, his parents and two older siblings, and his father, Freudis Rojas Sr., a former professional boxer, opened his own gym, the O to 100 Boxing Club, in the area.
Yet Las Vegas will always be home for the Rojas family. He returned to Nevada on April 20 and has spent the last 10 weeks training in the familiar surroundings of Sin City. Rojas has been staying in a camp house with Coach Kay Koroma and other members of his former USA Boxing National Team squad to stay fully locked in for his upcoming fight. He enjoys the training setting and working out with his friends and teammates as they each prepare for their upcoming fights.
“It feels nice when everyone around you has the same mentality that you have,” Rojas said. “Everyone is pushing each other in training. Boxing can be a lonely sport so having somebody there laughing with you, training just as hard as you, and pushing you is helpful.”
The July 15 bout will be Rojas’ first fight since his recent signing with Sampson Boxing and he believes that it’s a turning point in his career. He’s looking forward to getting the exposure and visibility he has been hoping for since entering the professional ranks after his decorated amateur career.