On March 13 in Mexico, the WBC lightweight champion will defend his crown against interim titleholder Jadier Herrera. A Tuesday scheduled purse bid was canceled after both sides agreed to terms.

Zepeda, The Ring’s No. 1 lightweight, left many in awe after his last performance.

The 30-year-old turned a perceived 50/50 fight against Lamont Roach into a one-sided drubbing on August 1, resulting in a unanimous-decision win to capture the vacant WBC title.

Following the win, Zepeda (34-1, 27 KOs) made it clear that he wanted revenge by calling out Shakur Stevenson. The two fought in July 2025, with Stevenson winning a lopsided decision. Zepeda also wants to unify with fellow champions, mainly WBO beltholder Abdullah Mason.

Instead, the San Mateo Atenco, Mexico, native will have to fight Herrera (18-0, 16 KOs) next. The Ring’s No. 6 lightweight contender has been wanting a big fight.

The 24-year-old Cuban power-puncher made the most of his lone appearance in 2026 by scoring an eighth-round stoppage win over Ricardo Nunez on January 10 for the WBC interim title.