CES has announced the rest of the bouts scheduled for November 23rd at Rhode Island's Twin River Casino, when Peter Manfredo Jr. (40-7-1, 21 KOs) comes out of a three-year retirement to headline against "The Romantic Redneck" Melvin Russell (11-7-2, 7 KOs) of Lloyd, KY, in a ten-round light heavyweight bout. The co-feature boasts another Rhode Island fan-favorite, Cranston junior welterweight Nick DeLomba (15-2, 4 KOs) who faces Argentina's Diego Vicente Perez (13-8-1, 11 KOs) over eight rounds. The UFC Fight Pass live stream also features a six-round bout between undefeateds as super featherweights Michael Valentin (6-0-1, 1 KO) of Providence faces Joshua Orta (5-0, 2 KOs) of Holbrook, MA. There will also be a six-round welterweight war between Providence's Victor Reynoso (5-0, 5 KOs) and Roque Zapata (6-2-5) of Culpeper, VA.
DeLomba returns to Twin River for the first time in more than a year and puts his four-fight win streak on the line against Perez, who has won five of his last six, all by knockout. DeLomba last fought in Rhode Island in September of 2018, defeating Chris Singleton by unanimous decision, and most recently fought in July with a knockout win over Rynell Griffin in New Hampshire.
Valetin and Orta could steal the show November 23rd. The two have had their sights set on one another since Orta turned pro in 2018. Since then, Orta has racked up five wins in the past year while Valentin also boasts an undefeated record at 6-0-1.
Reynoso is also facing his toughest test date. An officer at Bridgewater State Hospital in Massachusetts, Reynoso recently made quick work of Kenny Chery in August, winning by third round knockout for his fifth knockout victory in as many fights. Zapata has never been stopped and has scored upset wins on the road against Philadelphia's Isaiah Wise and Fred Jenkins Jr. and Reading, PA, vet Nicolas Hernandez.
The preliminary (non-streamed) card features an eclectic mix of veterans and newcomers, starting with Brian Barbosa (31-7, 23 KOs) of Providence making his long-awaited return and the professional boxing debut of Gary Balletto III, the son of the well-respected "Tiger" Balletto, who amassed a pro record of 31-3-2. Cranston's Balletto is transitioning from the cage to the ring, boxing professionally for the first time following seven professional MMA fights with CES MMA between 2015 and 2018.
Barbosa is back for the first time since 2013. "The Bull" ran off a streak of 11 consecutive knockouts between 1994 and 1997 as one of the region's top fighters and also returned from an eight-year layoff in 2011 with a knockout win over Rhode Island rival Joe Gardner.
Also on the preliminary card, junior welterweight Wilson Mascarenhas (2-1) of New Bedford, MA, faces Jose Zaragoza (2-0) of Sedalia, MO, and female lightweight Shayna Foppiano (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Everett, MA, battles Brazilian Raquel Santos, who also lives and trains in Everett and will be making her pro debut. Both are four-round bouts. Brockton, MA, heavyweight Chad Leoncello also makes his professional debut in a four-round bout.
