Navarrete vs Nunez Odds, Prediction & Preview

Super featherweight champions Emanuel Navarrete and Eduardo Nunez square off in a unification bout on Saturday. A three-division world champ, Navarrete is the current WBO strap holder with recent form a concern entering this fight.

Fellow Mexican and current IBF belt holder, Nunez is a knockout specialist with 27 of his 29 career victories coming by stoppage. He’s won 19 consecutive fights since suffering his lone defeat in 2018. Nunez opened as a -195 favorite on the boxing betting odds with Navarrete at +157.

Navarrete vs. Nunez Fight Preview

The 12-round super featherweight title unification fight between WBO champ Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) and IBF belt holder Eduardo Nunez (29-1, 27 KOs) takes place on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ. The fight will air on DAZN pay-per-view.

Navarrete claimed the WBO super featherweight title with a 9th round TKO of Liam Wilson in 2023 becoming a 3-division world champion. He also held the WBO junior featherweight crown from 2018 to 2020 and the WBO featherweight title from 2020 to 2023.

Navarrete looks to regain the form that saw him win 38 of his first 39 professional fights. He’s faced adversity recently with just one win in his last four bouts.

In the second defense of his current title, Navarrete retained the belt with a majority draw over Robson Conceicao despite knocking his opponent down twice. The fight was just three months after Navarrete scored a unanimous decision over Oscar Valdez.

Moving up for a battle with Denis Berinchyk for the vacant WBO lightweight title resulted in just the second career setback for Navarrete, who lost a split decision in his quest for fourth division title. It was also his first loss in 35 fights.

Nunez is a bully in the ring winning more than 93 percent of his fights by stoppage. He started his career with 10 straight KO victories before a controversial loss to Hiram Gallardo in 2018. Gallardo scored a unanimous decision and Nunez vowed to never again leave the decision in the hands of judges.

Facing Masanori Rikishi in May 2025 for the vacant IBF junior lightweight title, Nunez went the distance in a win for the first time in his career. He hasn’t had the same impact against some of the better fighters in the weight class needing 12 rounds to score a UD over Christopher Diaz in his most recent fight.

Navarrete vs. Nunez Predictions

There’s a good chance this fight doesn’t go the distance. Nunez has KOs in 27 of his 29 victories while Navarrete has won 32 of his 39 fights by knockout. Both fighters possess lethal power with Navarrete needing to use his reach advantage to keep distance between the two.

Look for Nunez to use body shots to the long frame of his opponent. This tactic will not only hurt Navarrete but also force him to slow his feet and possibly let his guard down. Throwing long overhands often leaves Navarrete vulnerable, which Nunez will look to exploit.

Navarrete vs. Nunez Betting Tips

Recent form is a concern for Navarrete, who opened on the boxing betting odds as a +157 underdog.

Due to a missed call by the referee, Navarrete escaped his last fight with a technical decision when the bout was stopped due to a cut over Navarrete’s eye. Originally determined due to a head butt, replays confirmed the cut was from a punch and the result was changed to a no-contest.

Nunez had won his first 27 fights by stoppage, but he showed he has the stamina to go the distance winning his last two fights by unanimous decision.

Navarrete vs. Nunez Head to Head and Key Stats

With a 4-inch reach advantage it would behoove Navarrete to jab and retreat thus avoiding the powerful punches from Nunez.

Navarrete also needs to prepare better than he did last time out. He needed the 2-hour buffer to make weight for his bout with Charly Suarez and that appeared to take a toll. Suarez attacked the body using the weight cut to his advantage.