Odilón Zaleta’s Regional Success Led to World-Title Bids
Odilón Zaleta challenged Akira Yaegashi for the WBC flyweight championship in Japan on April 6, 2014. Yaegashi retained his title by ninth-round knockout.
The Mexican championship route
Zaleta’s professional record began in September 2009. He won the FECOMBOX Mexican light flyweight championship against Felipe Rivas in May 2011 and later took the Mexican flyweight title from Edgar Jiménez that December.
In October 2012, he knocked out Armando Torres in the twelfth round for a vacant WBC Central American light flyweight championship. His next recorded contest, against Mario Rodríguez in September 2013, ended in a split-decision defeat.
International championship challenges
After the Yaegashi contest, Zaleta challenged Moruti Mthalane for the IBO flyweight championship on October 26, 2014. Mthalane won a unanimous decision after twelve rounds.
The two world-title opportunities followed Zaleta’s domestic and regional championship successes, taking the Mexican contender from local competition into bouts with established international champions.
From Chihuahua, Zaleta represented Mexico at the 2007 amateur World Championships in the 48-kilogram division. His professional debut was a six-round decision victory over Alejandro Moreno. He later defended the FECOMBOX belt by stopping Luis Fernando Becerra in September 2011. Another regional opportunity, against Luis Concepción in May 2012, ended with a second-round stoppage defeat before his Torres victory.
