Unbeaten heavyweight Gurgen “Big Gug” Hovhannisyan challenges for WBA Continental title

Hovhannisyan and Barrientes set for high-stakes showdowns

Get ready for an explosive night of boxing as Boxlab Promotions unveils top-tier matchups for two of its rising stars! In separate 10-round main events, undefeated heavyweight power puncher, Gurgen Hovhannisyan (8-0, 7 KOs) and WBA #15-ranked super bantamweight contender, Angel Barrientes (13-1, 8 KOs) will face tough opposition on Friday, July 18, 2025, at the Lavish Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The action is set to broadcast live globally on DAZN.

Gurgen “Big Gug” Hovhannisyan, the Armenian-born knockout artist based in Los Angeles, will headline, challenging the tough-as-nails, Chris Thomas (15-1-2, 10 KOs) from Beachwood, New Jersey for the WBA Continental North America title.

He’s eyeing a leap toward heavyweight glory with a dominant performance. “Thomas is not to be overlooked—he’s rugged, experienced, and dangerous,” said Hovhannisyan, who is co-promoted with Boxlab and TGB Promotions. “This is going to be a tough fight, but I’ve trained for this moment. Winning this regional title with the WBA lifts me in the right direction, toward world-title contention.”

In the co-feature, 22-year old Angel “AK-47” Barrientes, of Las Vegas, NV, puts his WBA #15 ranking on the line against Cuban-born Jorge Romero (23-1-1, 14 KOs), a fleetfooted boxer-puncher from Miami, FL, representing Guanabacoa, Cuba.

On the line will be the WBA Continental Latin America title. Barrientes aims to solidify his status as a world-class contender in the super bantamweight division. “Romero brings serious pedigree and punching power,” stated Barrientes. “I respect his record—but I’m hungry, I want this WBA belt! A win here proves I belong among the elite.”

“This event captures everything fans love—power, passion, and high-stakes matchups, with two regional titles on the line in the feature bouts of the evening,” said Boxlab Promotions President, Amaury Piedra, as he expressed his enthusiasm for this event. “Both Gurgen and Angel are competing against the toughest opponents of their careers. Both fighters are poised to step onto the global stage with meaningful, career-defining wins. This night isn’t just about wins—it’s about making statements, a marching up the rankings. We can’t wait to bring this level of boxing to Orlando and DAZN viewers worldwide.”

Undercard Bouts:

8x3 Heavyweight, Aleksei Dronov (7-0, 5 KOs) vs Joe Jones (15-13-1, 10 KOs)

8x3 Heavyweight, Drake Banks (9-0, 7 KOs) vs Colby Madison (11-7-3, 7 KOs)

8x3 Middleweight, Alex Bray (9-0, 0 KOs) vs TBA

8x3 Super bantamweight, Chavez Barrientes (11-0, 6 KOs) vs TBA

6x3 Super featherweight, Gabriela Tellez (5-0, 2 KOs) vs Elizabeth Chavez Espinoza (4-8-3, 1 KOs)

6x3 Featherweight, Roberto Gomez (6-0, 3 KOs) vs Jose Saant (15-10-1, 5 KOs)

6x3 Welterweight, Geise Reyes Del Verso (6-0, 5 KOs) vs TBA

4x3 Bantamweight, Carlos Lebron (5-1-1, 4 KOs) vs Anel Dudo (3-6, 1 KOs)

4x3 Lightweight, Jobed Collazo (1-0-, 0 KOs) vs Alen Dudo (0-1-1, 0 KOs)

This event is brought to you by Boxlab Promotions in association with, Undisputed Promotions. Doors open at 5:00 pm ET with the first bout beginning at 6:00 pm ET. Tickets priced $40 (General Admission), $60 (Standard Admission-4A), $75 (Standard Admission-3A), $100 (Ringside), and VIP Tables for 10 are priced at $1,500 including a bottle of champagne, appetizer tray for the table, prime viewing and dedicated servers, are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com

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