VASYL LOMACHENKO AND JASON SOSA READY TO MAKE A FEDERAL CASE IN D.C.

Saturday, April 8
The Theater at MGM National Harbor Live on HBO World Championship Boxing®

Non-Televised Undercard Features Local Favorites Mike Reed and Patrick Harris, Plus No. 1 Super Middleweight Contender Jesse Hart

Tickets Go On Sale This Monday! February 20 at 10 A.M. ET

OXON HILL, MD (February 15, 2017) — Two-division world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist VASYL LOMACHENKO and World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight world champion JASON “El Canito” SOSA will battle for Lomachenko’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight world title, Saturday, April 8, at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD.  The fight between the two world champions will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The non-televised undercard will feature undefeated No. 1 super middleweight contender JESSE “Hard Work” HART from Philadelphia, PA., and local favorites from the metro Washington, D.C. area, including undefeated prospects MIKE “Yes Indeed” REED and PATRICK HARRIS in separate bouts.  Full details on the undercard will be announced at a later date.

Lomachenko (7-1, 5 KOs), of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine, makes his 2017 debut coming off a year that saw him named “Fighter of the Year” by several media outlets, including The Fight Game with Jim Lampley. In his last fight, on November 26, Lomachenko made his first defense of the WBO junior lightweight title, totally dominating Nicholas Walters.  The previously undefeated former WBA featherweight world champion quit on his stool after the seventh round with his trainer and father, Jobs Walters, telling referee Tony Weeks, ‘”No mas.”  Not only was it a total domination but a boxing masterpiece painted on the canvas by Lomacheko.  The greatest amateur boxer of his era and arguably of all time, two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko, became a two-division world champion just as he did with his first professional world title, he won world title No. 2 in a record least amount of fights — SEVEN!   On June 11, 2016,  he annihilated defending three-time WBO junior lightweight champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez via a cringe-worthy knockout punch in the fifth round .  Lomachenko captured his first world title — the vacant WBO featherweight title — on June 21, 2014, winning a scintillating majority decision over the previously unbeaten Gary Russell Jr.  It was Lomachenko’s third professional bout, tying him with Thailand’s Saensak Muangsurin for fewest fights to win a world title.  Muangsurin won a junior welterweight title in 1975, also in his third professional fight.  Lomachenko first gained international renown by winning gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Games as a featherweight and a lightweight, respectively.  He retired from the amateurs with a 396-1 record.

Sosa (20-1-4, 15 KOs), from Camden, NJ, and managed by Raul Chino Rivas, enters this fight riding a five-year, 20-bout unbeaten streak which includes 14 knockout victories dating back to 2011!  Many local fans, who flock to his fights, consider Sosa to be one of the best fighters to come out of Camden since Dwight Qawi.  Sosa’s been a fan favorite since turning pro in 2009 because of his exciting and aggressive style, strong punching power.  He captured the WBA super featherweight world title on June 24, 2016 in Beijing, coming from behind on all three judges’ scorecards to knock out undefeated defending champion Javier Fortuna in the 11th round.  He successfully defend the title in his last fight  on November 19 in Las Vegas, winning a unanimous decision over No. 7 world-rated contender Stephen Smith.

About MGM National Harbor
The newest addition to the MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) portfolio, MGM National Harbor has an unrivaled setting offering stunning panoramic views of the eastern shore of the Potomac River in Maryland. The $1.4 billion LEED® Gold Certified resort, which opened December 8, 2016, sits a short distance from Washington, D.C. to the north and historic sites, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate across the river in Virginia. The 24-story, 308-room resort features premier amenities and experiences for locals as well as visitors from around the world including a dynamic casino with over 125,000 square feet of space that includes slots, table games and poker; a world-class spa and salon; an entertainment theater with flexible seating for up to 3,000; high-end branded retail; 50,000 square feet of meeting space; and restaurants from renowned local, national and international chefs. For more information, visit mgmnationalharbor.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter.