Baraou vows to conquer Puerto Rico in Zayas title clash

WBA junior middleweight champion Abass Badou says he is “determined to get the job done” when he ventures into enemy territory to face WBO champion Xander Zayas for their unification bout at 154 on January 31, 2026 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Zayas and Baraou are already familiar with each other, having sparred 80 rounds in the past before capturing their belts.

German Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) is fighting for the first time as the WBA champion, and he will be looking to add another belt to his collection by dethroning 23-year-old Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) of his WBO belt. Capturing that title would put Baraou, 31, in a position to land the big money fights against one of these names:

• Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis – WBA Interim Champion
• Sebastian Fundora – WBC Champion
• Vergil Ortiz Jr. – WBC interim belt holder
• Bakhram Murtazaliev

Abass should be considered the favorite in this fight after his impressive performance in his last bout, defeating WBA Interim 154-lb champion Yoenis Tellez via a 12-round unanimous decision on August 23, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. Baraou wore down Tellez with pressure and a series of combinations. In the 12th, he dropped an exhausted Tellez with a flurry of shots that nearly stopped him.

“We know how to adjust. We know what Abass is good at. So, we have to be mindful of that. He’s a great athlete. Not everyone is willing to fight the best, but we’re willing to do it,” Xander Zayas said during today’s kick off press conference about his fight against Abass Baraou on January 31, 2026.

The adjustment commentary from Zayas suggests he may resort to holding or moving to try and neutralize Baraou’s offense. That’s what Zayas did in his last fight against Jorge Garcia Perez on July 26 in their fight for the vacant WBO 154-pound title.

Perez worked over Xander with power shots on the inside. So, Xander adapted by holding on and moving. It wasn’t an entertaining fight, but that approach worked for Zayas, who battered Perez to win a 12-round unanimous decision. Hopefully Zayas doesn’t use a lot of hold and move against Abass because it’s not fun to watch.

“It’s my baby. After the fight I slept with it for about a week,” Zayas said of his WBO 154-lb belt. “This is everything I’ve dedicated my life to. We’re here to put on a show for Puerto Rico.

“I’m determined when I’m on a mission, and I’m willing to do anything,” Baraou said. “I’m a man for the job. It’s not the first time I’ve done this. I’m willing to go anywhere to achieve my dreams and my goals. Coming to Puerto Rico to face Xander was an easy decision for me. It’s a hard fight. It’s a big challenge.

“Sparring is different than fighting. It might help. We’ll find out on fight night,” Abass said when asked about the 80 rounds of sparring he’s done with Xander in the past. “It’s a risky battle for both of us.”