Hovhannisyan’s victory got the attention of Zuffa Boxing, and the former world title challenger signed a three-fight deal with the upstart company and will be making his promotional debut Sunday against Eduardo Baez in a 10-round featherweight fight.

The bout will kick off the three-fight main card on Paramount+ as part of the Zuffa Boxing 5 show headlined by lightweights Andres Cortes and Eridson Garcia.

The always-entertaining Hovhannisyan (22-6, 17 KOs), a 37-year-old Armenian trained by Hall of Fame coach Freddie Roach, is a made-for-TV fighter who pushes the action at a frenetic pace and presents a fan-friendly style.

Hovhannisyan believes a convincing win against Baez (25-7-2, 10 KOs) will allow him to begin a wild ride in Zuffa’s featherweight division as he enters the final chapter of his career.

“I am ready to wreak havoc and make a statement to prove that I am still a world-class fighter and a contender who has what it takes to be the champion,” he said. “I’m 37, but I feel young and have a lot more to give to the sport against anyone they put in front of me.”

Hovhannisyan ended a three-fight losing streak against top-notch competition when he scored an eight-round unanimous decision against the junior lightweight Medet, a 25-year-old from Kazakhstan.

The trio of setbacks started when Hovhannisyan gave Luis Nery hell in an 11th-round knockout loss during a brutal barnburner that was named The Ring’s 2023 Fight of the Year. Unanimous decision losses followed against eventual title challengers David Picasso in August 2024 and Sebastian Hernandez in May.

The losses stopped a seven-fight winning streak (six by stoppage) for Hovhannisyan following his 2018 decision defeat against then-WBC junior bantamweight champion Rey Vargas.

Hovhannisyan worked his way up to being a WBA 122-pound mandatory challenger following the Vargas fight, but a title opportunity was never presented while fighting under the Golden Boy Promotions banner.

Hovhannisyan, previously a protégé of Vic Darchinyan, believes he still has plenty left in the tank to prove that he can be a champion, much like his iconic countryman.

In the meantime, he’s opened his own gym in Glendale, California, in the Azat Boxing Club and is grooming the next generation of Armenian amateur fighters.

But Hovhannisyan isn’t ready to pass the torch quite yet.

Beating the equally battle-tested Baez — who’s lost to Emanuel Navarrete, Angelo Leo and Mauricio Lara — will propel Hovhannisyan to even bigger opportunities.

“Baez loves to fight, and I have a Mexican style and love bringing the fight to my opponents even more,” said Hovhannisyan. “I will be ready with whatever he presents. I plan on stealing the show by knocking out Baez for the performance bonus. I have a great opportunity with Zuffa Boxing, and I plan on taking full advantage of it.”

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan