De Los Santos vs Valenzuela 2 Tops Zuffa Boxing 08
Right then — while everyone's eyes are on Brooklyn this weekend, do not sleep on Las Vegas. De Los Santos vs Valenzuela is the rematch that headlines Zuffa Boxing 08 on Sunday night at The Chelsea inside the Cosmopolitan, and make no mistake, this one has proper needle. Four years on from a brutal first meeting, these two settle it again.
Let's not beat around the bush about the history here. Back in 2022, Edwin De Los Santos walked into the lion's den and turned Jose "Rayo" Valenzuela's unbeaten record upside down, dropping him twice before stopping him inside three rounds. It was an upset that announced the Dominican as a genuine danger man. De Los Santos vs Valenzuela 2 is Rayo's chance to wipe that night from the record books.
Edwin De Los Santos: The Dominican Danger
Edwin De Los Santos comes in at 17-2 with 15 knockouts, and the man is a finisher in the purest sense. When he lands clean, people fall over — it really is that simple. He has been in tough since that first win over Valenzuela, sharing rings with elite lightweights and showing that the power is no fluke. He's the kind of fighter who only needs one opening.
The knock on De Los Santos has always been consistency over twelve hard rounds. He can be wild, he can fade, and a disciplined operator can make him miss and pay. But in a rematch where he already owns the knockout, he carries a psychological edge into De Los Santos vs Valenzuela that you cannot buy.
Jose Valenzuela: Out For Redemption
Jose "Rayo" Valenzuela is 15-3 with 9 knockouts, and he is a far better fighter than the man who got caught cold in 2022. Since that loss he rebuilt himself brilliantly, going on to win the WBA super lightweight title and proving he belongs at the top of the 140-pound conversation. This rematch is personal, and a motivated Rayo is a problem for anyone.
For Valenzuela, De Los Santos vs Valenzuela 2 is about discipline. He has the boxing brain and the hand speed to win this on points if he refuses to get dragged into a firefight. The temptation, of course, will be to march forward and prove he can take what he couldn't four years ago. That pride is exactly what De Los Santos is banking on.
My Prediction
I'm not sitting on the fence. The first fight tells me De Los Santos has the timing and the venom to hurt Valenzuela, but the version of Rayo we've seen since is smarter, sharper and far more rounded. I think Valenzuela boxes with his head this time, banks the early rounds and gets his redemption on the cards — Valenzuela by decision, with a few nervy moments when the Dominican lets his hands go.
That said, if De Los Santos lands one of those left hands flush early, this could be a very short night and a repeat of 2022. That is the beauty of De Los Santos vs Valenzuela: it can end in a flash or go the full twelve. Sunday in Vegas is must-watch. For the weekend's other blockbuster, see our Zayas vs Ennis fight-eve preview.