Former WBA Regular super featherweight and Interim featherweight world champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna is set to make his bare-knuckle boxing debut on Saturday, July 18, at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.
Fighting in the co-main event of an International Professional Bare-Knuckle League tournament, 37-year-old Fortuna, 39-7-1 (28 KOs), of the Dominican Republic, will face Medellin, Colombia’s 36-year-old Alejandro Munera, who is 8-9-4 (7 KOs) as a boxer and 2-0 (2 KOs) in the bareknuckle version of the sport.
The two combatants have agreed to compete at 155 lbs.
A speedy, aggressive southpaw, Fortuna will become one of the most accomplished boxers to fight with bare knuckles. During his 16-year professional boxing career, the two-time champ has faced high-profile names such as Ryan Garcia and Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr.
However, Fortuna, who was undefeated in his first 29 professional fights, has lost five of his last eight. He was last seen getting stopped in four rounds by Rashidi Ellis in November 2025.
Established in 2025 under the auspices of the International Boxing Association (IBA), the International Professional Bare-Knuckle League has, so far, staged four major events in The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The July 18 event will be their first in the United States.
The event will be hosted by Jon Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers in UFC history.
