Undefeated Cuban puncher Jadier Herrera fights Ricardo Núñez this Saturday, January 10, in Oberhausen, Germany, with a vacant WBC interim lightweight title on the line. On paper, it’s a secondary band. In practice, it could decide who ends up holding the WBC position at 135 by the end of the year.
Herrera’s appeal is straightforward. He hits hard, applies pressure and forces fights into uncomfortable territory. That profile is why his name lingered near the WBC photo despite limited exposure. A win here would put him directly in line if the division remains thin at the top.
That possibility exists because Shakur Stevenson no longer considers lightweight at home. Scheduled to move up to 140 pounds to face Teofimo Lopez later this month, Stevenson has shifted his focus to bigger fights and bigger paydays. If Stevenson succeeds at junior welterweight, there is little reason for him to return to 135 to face a high-risk opponent with limited financial upside.
That tension is not theoretical. Herrera was one of the names discussed early last year as a replacement opponent for Stevenson after Floyd Schofield Jr. pulled out of their February 2025 fight. Herrera was available. Stevenson refused. He chose Josh Padley instead. The choice was revealing. Herrera was the more dangerous option, and Stevenson treated him accordingly.
Entering Saturday near the top of the WBC rankings, Herrera will face a seasoned opponent in Ricardo Núñez, a longtime professional with experience across multiple weight classes. The match takes place at the Rudolf Weber-Arena on a card headlined by Agit Kabayel vs. Damian Knyba and is streaming live on DAZN.
Herrera is not a finished product. He can be hit. His defense thrives under pressure. Those flaws are visible. But such is his power, and such is the pace he brings round after round. At lightweight, that combination tends to force decisions from champions they’d rather put off.
If Herrera scores a decisive victory, the message is straightforward. He is not merely a name on the rankings. He is a problem that the division may be forced to solve sooner than it would prefer.
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Last updated on 01/06/2026
