Miami Connection
Rigondeaux has elevated Miami's boxing profile through high-profile fights at venues like Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Casino Miami Jai Alai, E11even, and the upcoming James L. Knight Center event. As a defected Cuban star residing and training in South Florida, he draws large Cuban-American crowds, fostering community excitement around combat sports. His recent wins and promotional deals with local figures like Matteo Attalla of Boxer Gym strengthen Miami's status as a hub for veteran champions.
About
Born in Santiago de Cuba on September 30, 1980, Rigondeaux dominated as an amateur, winning consecutive bantamweight gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and securing seven Cuban national titles with a near-perfect record. He defected to Miami in 2009, debuting professionally at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach with a third-round TKO. Rigondeaux held unified WBA (Super), WBO, and Ring super bantamweight titles from 2013 to 2017, peaking with a 2013 win over Nonito Donaire, and later the WBA bantamweight title from 2020-2021. Now based in Miami, he trains at the Boxer Gym and recently won the WBC International super bantamweight title in November 2024 at E11even in Miami. He is scheduled to fight on May 2, 2026, headlining 'Havana Heat' at the James L. Knight Center alongside Yuriorkis Gamboa.