An outstanding super welterweight matchup is on the horizon, as an unbeaten prospect from Puerto Rico, Xander Zayas, prepares to square off against former WBO Latino super welterweight champion Damian Sosa of Mexico. It’s the perfect Puerto Rico vs. Mexico battle in the undercard of the WBO women’s welterweight title fight between Sandy Ryan and Mikaela Mayer. 

Zayas, who was signed with Top Rank at the young age of just 16, is ready to make his sixth appearance in New York City, where he is a favorite since turning pro in 2019. However, will the 22-year-old Sunrise, Florida resident, continue his winning streak against the experienced ‘Samurai’ Sosa in the upcoming 10-round fight? As the duo is about to get in the ring to test their mettle on 27th September at the Madison Square Garden Theater, New York, here’s our fight breakdown.

Xander Zayas vs. Damian Sosa: Deeper look at their resume

Zayas turned pro back in 2019, but before that he had quite an extensive amateur career, spanning over 130 wins. He won multiple national championship titles, which included the prestigious 2018 U.S. Youth National Championships. To top it all off, after turning pro, he has remained undefeated with a perfect record of 19-0-0, which basically says Xander Zayas is one tough cookie. 

Back in June, Zayas made his main event debut at The Theater, as he defeated former interim WBO super welterweight champion Patrick Teixeira via a unanimous decision after 10 rounds. Before that, Xander Zayas made quick work of Spain’s Jorge Fortea and Mexico’s Roberto Valenzuela Jr, defeating both via a 5th-round knockout.

On the other side of the corner, Damian ‘Samurai’ Sosa didn’t have much of an amateur career. However, he is the more experienced of the duo, at least in the professional scene, having just defeated unbeaten prospect Marques Valle in his last fight via a split decision. Sosa has built up an impressive record of 25-2-0 since he turned pro back in 2016. 

Notably, Sosa’s first career defeat came at the hands of Artem Oganesyan in 2019, losing by unanimous decision. He faced another setback last year against Ivan Alvarez, once again falling short on the judges’ scorecards. So, how do these two fighters stack up against each other?

Zayas is riding a wave of momentum as he climbs the super welterweight ranks, and despite Damian Sosa’s edge in experience, it’s likely he’ll fall short. This bout is expected to go the distance, with Zayas securing the win on the judges’ scorecards.

A battle of attributes

At just 22 years old, Xander Zayas enters the ring as the younger fighter, compared to his 27-year-old opponent, Damian Sosa. Despite the age difference, Zayas has shown maturity beyond his years, rapidly climbing the super welterweight ranks. Physically, he holds a slight edge in height, standing at 5′ 10″ (178 cm), while Sosa is 5′ 9″ (175 cm). 

Though a mere inch taller, Zayas’ build suggests a fighter who knows how to use his height advantage effectively, particularly when paired with his superior reach. In terms of wingspan, Xander Zayas further widens the gap. With a reach of 74″ (188 cm) compared to Sosa’s 71½″ (182 cm), the younger fighter has a more tangible advantage here. 

While three inches might not seem like much on paper, in the ring, it can make a world of difference. Zayas will likely look to utilize his longer reach to keep Damian Sosa at a distance, using jabs and straight punches to control the pace of the fight. This reach allows Zayas to dictate the range, forcing Sosa to close the gap if he wants to land meaningful strikes.

When it comes to weight, both fighters are very evenly matched, with no clear advantage on either side. While the official weigh-in numbers are yet to be revealed, historical data from their recent bouts provide a reliable indication. 

Xander Zayas has consistently hovered around the 153-pound mark, weighing in at 153½ lbs for his last two fights and 153¾ lbs for the two preceding those. Damian Sosa, too, has shown similar consistency, coming in between 153½ and 154¼ lbs in his last four outings. This suggests that both fighters will enter the ring in optimal condition, with little difference in terms of size and mass.

Who is getting put to sleep? 

Let’s be honest: no matter how technically skilled a boxer is, what fans crave most is that jaw-dropping knockout moment that leaves the crowd roaring. So, will the Xander Zayas vs. Damian Sosa fight deliver one of those electrifying finishes? Zayas brings the heat with 12 knockouts in his 19 wins, boasting a solid 63.16% knockout ratio. 

While he doesn’t drop every opponent, he’s more than capable of ending fights in brutal fashion, as he did when he knocked out Jorge Fortea last year—a fighter with a similar record to Sosa. With three knockouts in his last six bouts, Zayas definitely has the power to make this fight explosive.

On the other hand, Sosa’s knockout stats aren’t quite as intimidating. He’s got 12 KOs out of 25 wins, giving him a 48% knockout ratio. In his last six fights, he’s managed just one KO, meaning the likelihood of him delivering a knockout against Xander Zayas is slim. Damian Sosa is more known for taking his opponents the distance, and that might just be his game plan here as well.

While the fight is likely to go the distance, the numbers show a higher likelihood of Zayas scoring a knockout, that is if a knockout comes. This becomes even more realistic when you consider Zayas’ reach advantage, which will be difficult to overcome even for the more experienced Sosa. 

As for when this knockout may come, the 22-year-old has consistently scored knockouts in the early rounds of the fight, so Sosa may want to look out for that one punch in the first five rounds of the fight. If Sosa can avoid it in the early rounds, the fight will likely go the distance. 

Purely based on numbers, the upcoming fight will be quite the challenge for Damian Sosa, as Xander Zayas is clearly dominating him on paper. Even in the betting odds for the fight, Zayas is the favorite to win with -1500, while Sosa is the underdog at +800, per Bet Online[dot]com. 

However, there’s always that small chance that Sosa creates an upset, something that has become so common in the sport right now. Do you think Damian Sosa can pull something similar? Or do you think Xander Zayas will steamroll him as expected?