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Two weeks after his closely contested majority draw against Robson Conceicao, WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete underwent left-hand surgery.
The 28-year-old shared a post on Instagram from the Hospital Mexico Americano, depicting himself in a cast and sling, describing the procedure as minor. Navarrete attributed the surgery to a re-aggravation of an old injury sustained during the bout with Conceicao, impacting his ability to finish the fight at full strength.
Despite the setback, Navarrete remains optimistic about returning to the ring for new challenges early next year. Among the possibilities is a potential rematch with Conceicao, whom he praised for their intense encounter. After the fight, Navarrete expressed that the 2016 Olympics gold medalist and two-time title challenger deserved another shot.
In the thrilling match, Navarrete (38-1-1, 31 KOs) knocked Conceicao (17-2-1, 8 KOs) down twice with powerful right hands in the fourth and seventh rounds. However, Conceicao's relentless pressure and effective punching resulted in a close contest. The final scorecards reflected the competitiveness, with two judges scoring it 113-113 and another favoring Navarrete at 114-112.
Navarrete's recent bout with Conceicao followed a decisive victory against former two-weight titlist Oscar Valdez in August and a ninth-round stoppage of Liam Wilson in February. Despite the surgery, Navarrete remains determined to face new challenges and potentially settle the score in a rematch with Conceicao.