Ruben Villa returns to action with a title shot in his sights against Sulaiman Segawa

The 10-round bout will take place on the undercard of the lightweight bout between Raymond Muratalla and Tevin Farmer (which previously culminated in the now-canceled unified middleweight world title fight between Janibek Alimkhanuly and Andrei Mikhailovich), which will stream live on ESPN+ (6:50 p.m. ET/3:50 p.m. PT).

The left-hander Villa (22-1, 7 KOs) last fought on April 13, defeating Cristian Cruz Chacon by unanimous decision. In his previous fight on September 15, Villa defeated former junior fighter Brandon Valdes by decision.

Villa has won his last four fights since losing a narrow unanimous decision to Emanuel Navarrete in October 2020. The vacant WBO featherweight title was up for grabs in a fight that saw Villa go down twice and Navarrete win 114-112 on two judges’ cards. Villa learned a lot about himself that night, which has made him a better fighter.

“It was the first time I’ve been knocked down in a fight,” Villa told The Ring on Monday. “What I learned from that fight is that I can fight at an elite level. Look at the results of the fight. I was able to get up twice and still make the fight close. I learned a lot about myself in terms of experience and what I need to do to be a better fighter.”

“I’m hungrier now. Top Rank has kept me on my toes. I want to put on dominant performances. Maybe it was a little too early in my career (to fight for a world title), but I wasn’t afraid to take on that challenge. I’ve learned from what happened and I know I’ll win a world title belt if I get the opportunity.”

The 27-year-old Villa is number 1 in the WBC. Rey Vargas is the world champion of this association. Villa is also listed in the top 10 of two other boxing associations.

Villa is open to fighting any world champion, including IBF titlist Luis “Venado” Lopez. Villa defeated Lopez on a ShoBox card in May 2019. Ironically, Lopez is promoted by Top Rank and will defend the world title belt against Angelo Leo on August 10 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“It doesn’t matter which champion I fight,” said Villa, who previously fought under the Thompson Boxing banner before signing with Top Rank a few years ago. “I’ll fight them all. Of course, there’s the ‘Venado’ fight. A rematch would be a fun fight. I’d love to fight him again.”

Villa lives in Salinas, California, where he has fought several times as a professional. Salinas is known for being surrounded by agricultural land, is considered a working class town and has taken a liking to Villa.

In recent years, Villa has spoken at local high schools and programs to help students complete their education and be involved in the community. His presence in the city and surrounding areas has not gone unnoticed, with people approaching him in public for a photo or an autograph, or traveling to his fights outside of Salinas.

Villa appreciates the support, which motivates him even more to bring a world title to the city.

“Salinas is a proud place,” Villa said. “Everyone in this town works hard. I’m thankful for my fan base. We were able to sell 100 tickets for Saturday’s card. I’m happy that the people in my hometown believe in me. I want to continue to do the right thing and represent my hometown to the best of my ability.”

Villa has come a long way since his loss to Navarrete, relying on his work ethic and discipline in and out of the ring.

“I’m fighting to be a better version of myself. I’m more comfortable with the style I’ve developed. I know the fans want more action, so I’ve become more aggressive, which gives me more confidence.

“Life as a boxer is not easy. I just stay humble and grounded. My boxing skills and my personality define me. Boxing is my life.”

Francisco A. Salazar has been writing for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. You can reach him at (email protected)