Yoenis Tellez isn’t letting the first defeat of his career keep him down.

The talented 25-year-old Cuban will return to the ring on December 13 to take on Kendo Castaneda at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. He’ll now have a chance to prove that he learned from previous mistakes.

On August 23, Tellez (10-1, 7 KOs) believed he would walk right through Abass Baraou and successfully defend his WBA interim junior middleweight title. However, what was supposed to be a routine night turned into a nightmare as he was dropped in the 12th before losing a relatively wide decision.

That defeat also took place at the Caribe Royale. This time around, nevertheless, he won’t have someone as relentless as Baraou in front of him.

Castaneda (21-12, 9 KOs), 31, doesn’t quite remember what the winner’s circle looks like. With six straight defeats plastered to his record, he hasn’t taken home a victory since beating Cameron Krael in 2023, a fighter who held a record of just 20-32.

Following Tellez’s defeat to Baraou, he was removed from The Ring’s top 10.