Gary Antuanne Russell and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz are likely to fight in August or September, according to ESPN Knockout’s Salvador Rodriguez.
Rodriguez says that August 22 and September 5 are possible dates. The fight is targeted for Las Vegas.
Russell (19-1, 17 KO) would be defending the WBA super lightweight title against Cruz (28-3-2, 18 KO), who is the WBC’s interim champ at the weight, and is a former WBA titleholder at 140, and title challenger at 135.
The 29-year-old Russell fought on February
21, holding off a solid challenge from Andy Hiraoka to retain the title, which he won from Jose Valenzuela in 2025. If this fight does happen in 2026, it would be the first time since 2022 that Russell has fought twice in a calendar year.
Cruz, 28, is coming off of a draw with Lamont Roach Jr last December. Many observers felt Roach probably deserved the win that night, but two judges scored it 113-113, and the third scored for Cruz, 115-111. Cruz did drop Roach in the third round.
Russell vs Cruz could be a terrific fight, as Cruz is a fearless, come-forward fighter, and at his best, Russell is a strong technician with some good pop and timing. It could bring the best out of both men in terms of entertainment.
If we get this fight, who do you like to win?
