Perez Pulls Out of Co-Main With Injury
Lenar Perez has withdrawn from his scheduled November 12 bout against Artur Ziyatdinov due to a training injury, with Steven Butler and Erik Bazinyan stepping into the co-main event.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Boxing
Eye of the Tiger Promotions announced in a press release on Thursday that Lenar Perez is out of his November 12 fight against Artur Ziyatdinov after suffering an injury in training. Steven Butler and Erik Bazinyan will move up the bout sheet to replace the Perez-Ziyatdinov matchup as the co-main event.
Why it matters
The withdrawal reshuffles the November 12 card headlined by Jhon Orobio vs. Hendri Cedeno and removes a fight that would have tested Perez, who is undefeated at 17-0. A win over Ziyatdinov would likely have strengthened Perez's standing with sanctioning bodies, where he is ranked in the top 15.
Perez enters at 17-0 with 15 knockouts, compared with Ziyatdinov's 17-3 record and 14 knockouts, while his two most recent wins came against Thabiso Mchunu and Isaac Chilemba. The severity of the injury and any rescheduling plans have not been disclosed.
The players
Lenar Perez
A 28-year-old Cuban-born boxer residing in France, Perez is unbeaten at 17-0 with 15 knockouts and ranked in the top 15 by all sanctioning bodies.
Eye of the Tiger Promotions
The promotional company that organizes the November 12 card and issued the press release announcing Perez's withdrawal and the bout reshuffle.
The details
Perez, 28, was born in Cuba and resides in France, and was scheduled to face Ziyatdinov in the co-main event on a card headlined by Jhon Orobio vs. Hendri Cedeno. The promoter moved Butler and Bazinyan up the bout sheet to fill the co-main slot.
Timeline
Thursday, November 5, 2026: Eye of the Tiger Promotions announces Perez's withdrawal in a press release.
November 12, 2026: Scheduled card proceeds with Butler vs. Bazinyan as the co-main event.
Season Trajectory
Within the sanctioning body top-15 rankings that gate title opportunities, a delayed bout can slow a rising fighter's path toward a higher-profile opponent. Perez's unbeaten run now depends on how quickly he returns to the ring.
Fans tracking the November 12 card should note that Butler vs. Bazinyan now anchors the co-main event, changing the fight order for anyone following the broadcast. Fantasy and betting lines built around the original Perez-Ziyatdinov matchup will need to be updated.
The takeaway
Injury withdrawals can quickly reshape a fight card, so checking official promotion updates before the event date helps avoid confusion about the final bout order.
Further reading
Follow the latest bout changes and fight-card updates in our Boxing coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BoxingScene.
