Miguel Berchelt targets knockout against Juan Manuel Cordoba

Miguel “Alacran” Berchelt will pursue a fifth consecutive victory when he meets Juan Manuel “La Sombra” Cordoba on August 29 at the Centro de Usos Multiples in Hermosillo, Sonora. Berchelt enters with a 41-3 record and 37 knockouts, while Cordoba is 7-1 with four stoppages.

The 34-year-old Mexican has rebuilt his career in the lightweight division since losing his WBC super featherweight title to Oscar Valdez by 10th-round knockout on February 20, 2021. Four wins have followed that defeat as Berchelt has moved forward gradually at a higher weight.

Berchelt’s immediate objective is to make his power the defining feature of the contest. He views Cordoba as a serious threat because the Colombian has both ambition and enough punching ability to cause problems, but intends to end the fight inside the distance.

The Mexican believes his experience will be important against Cordoba, whose professional record is less extensive. Berchelt also considers himself fully settled at lightweight, saying the division has not taken away the explosiveness that produced 37 knockouts in his career.

Beyond the Hermosillo bout, Berchelt is targeting the WBC Silver title and a route towards a challenge against WBC lightweight champion William “El Cameron” Zepeda. He has praised Zepeda’s showing against Lamont Roach and regards the champion as a worthy holder of the green-and-gold belt.

Berchelt sees a potential meeting with Zepeda as a contest between his own knockout strength and the champion’s high-volume pressure style. He has described that possible all-Mexican fight as a major test of punching power, but first must deal with Cordoba and extend his current winning run.