Two former interim champions, Yoenis Tellez of Cuba and Brian Mendoza of New Meixco will box each other in the newly added cheif support bout for the March 28th PBC pay-per-view event taking place Saturday, March 28 at the the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.The 25 year-old Yoenis Tellez (11-1, 8 KOs) captured the WBA interim junior middleweight title with a March 2025 decision over former champion Julian Williams. After dropping a tough decision to eventual WBA champion Abass Baraou last August, Tellez most recently got back in the win column with a December stoppage of Kendo Castaneda. Tellez made his first big splash in the sport when he stepped in on short notice in July 2023 to blast out Sergio Garcia and earn a third-round TKO on the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford undercard. Originally from Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, Téllez continued to rise in two subsequent bouts, closing the show in style with a tenth-round TKO of Livan Navarro in December 2023 before earning a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Joseph Jackson in April 2024.
“I respect Brian Mendoza and everything he’s done, but on March 28 at MGM Grand, I’m coming hungry and ready to seize this opportunity,” said Tellez. “I’ve worked too hard to let this moment pass me by. I’m prepared to leave everything in the ring, because my goal is to get back to that world title fight, and this is a major step in that direction. The fans in Las Vegas are going to see the best version of me, and I plan to put on a show. I’m coming with everything!”
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico and now fighting out of Las Vegas, Mendoza (23-4, 17 KOs) earned the WBC interim title in 2023 with a highlight-reel knockout of current WBC champion Sebastian Fundora. Mendoza still holds the distinction as the only fighter to best Fundora. He followed up that win by traveling to Australia to challenge then WBO 154-pound world champion Tim Tszyu, eventually losing by decision. After the Tszyu fight, he stepped in on short notice and dropped a decision to Serhii Bohachuk in 2024, before his latest action saw him stop Jesus Antonio Rojas last July. Led to the ring by renowned trainer Ismael Salas, the 32 year-old Mendoza had previously knocked out former unified 154-pound champion Jeison Rosario in November 2022 and rode a three-fight winning streak into a decision defeat against current WBC interim middleweight champion Jesus Ramos Jr. in September 2021.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be back under the bright lights in Las Vegas on a card like this,” said Mendoza. “A win here turns everything around and puts me right back where I belong, with the best in the world at 154 pounds. I’m hungrier than ever to get back to the top and ready to knock out whoever gets in my way, starting with Tellez.”
