Arnold Barboza Jr. (33-1, 11 KOs) delivered a commanding welterweight debut Saturday night in Anaheim, outboxing Kenneth Sims Jr. (22-4-1, 8 KOs) over 12 rounds by unanimous decision — with judges scoring it 120-108, 118-110, and 117-111 — while capturing the WBO Global welterweight belt in the process.
Barboza controlled the fight throughout with a sharp jab, building visible damage on Sims and dictating the pace from open to close. An accidental head clash in round 11 opened a cut along Barboza’s hairline, but he closed the 12th confidently and left no doubt on the scorecards.
Barboza Names Garcia, Haney, and Lopez as Targets
Barboza made his ambitions immediately clear after the final bell. On a potential fight with Ryan Garcia, he said: “I think it’s the perfect fight for him. That fight was supposed to happen in February. We were negotiating that fight.” He also named Devin Haney as a target in the welterweight division.
His most personal callout was reserved for Teofimo Lopez — the only blemish on Barboza’s record. “Of course I’d love to get my lick back. It’s my only loss,” he said. Barboza added that he would accept Alexis Rocha if a bigger fight doesn’t materialize, and addressed Keyshawn Davis directly, indicating he’d welcome the matchup if Davis moves to 147.
