Why Diego Pacheco Vs. Osleys Iglesias Is Unlikely

Stefan is in a difficult situation. Iglesias has struggled to gain traction with top fighters and has been largely overlooked due to weight. Finding a well-known name willing to fight him wasn’t easy.

Estevan wanted Lester Martinez first and didn’t get him, which is why Pacheco’s name is now being mentioned. He’s ranked, undefeated, and has a win over Sadjo, making him an easy name to get rid of once the top pick collapses.

The timing also works against this fight going anywhere. Pacheco now has better options open, with Riyadh Season showing interest in facing him against Hamza Shiraz. That’s bigger money and a bigger platform, and once that door opens, fights like Iglesias’ tend to fall off the table quickly.

Hearn’s favorite direction

Eddie Hearn has already pointed in a different direction, mentioning Jaime Munguia as his next preferred opponent for Pacheco. Munguia is well known to American fans, has been on television for years, and has shown weakness, losing two of his last four fights since 2024. From a business standpoint, this is a cleaner move for Pacheco.

The Iglesias fight brings more risk than it’s worth. He holds the IBO belt and just stopped Vladimir Chechikin in an IBF elimination, making him a mandatory for Terence Crawford’s IBF title shot. Crawford is not expected to fight him, and there is no reason for Pacheco to get anywhere near that.

Money changes everything

Estevan can criticize how Pacheco looked against Sago all he wants, but this just sounds like a promoter looking for someone to fight his man. If the money wasn’t huge, it wouldn’t happen.

“Maybe Pacheco? Lester Martinez declared him unavailable… I know Pacheco got pressured by Sadjo, and it was ugly, but do you want to see Iglesias vs. Pacheco?” Stephen said on X.

It’s as if Iglesias needs someone to fight, and Pacheco doesn’t need to prove anything, which is why this showdown seems unlikely to go beyond a social media suggestion.