Road to Anaheim: How did Arnold Barboza Jr. and Kenneth Sims Jr. set welterweight crash course?

Arnold Barboza Jr. and Kenneth Sims Jr. will both look to secure a return to winning ways when they meet today in Anaheim.

The pair arrive at the Honda Center on the back of major defeats that checked their career momentum and title hopes in 2025.

Both men still remain highly regarded operators, and hope they can scale the summit again here at the expense of the other.

But just how did they come to this match-up? DAZN News explores the last five fights for each man and how they fared.

Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1)

• Age : 34
• Fights : 33
• Last five : WWWWL

Few light-welterweight fighters have arguably held a candle to the Californian in the past few years, racking up a string of major scalps in the ring.

A routine win in 2024 over Xolisani Ndongeni paved the way for a top triumph over Sean McComb by split decision before beating José Ramírez.

Barboza Jr. then upset expectations against Jack Catterall for the WBO interim crown, only to suffer a first pro loss against Teofimo Lopez in May.

Kenneth Sims Jr. (22-3-1)

• Age : 32
• Fights : 26
• Last five : WWWWL

'Bossman' has bounced back time and again from prior reverses, but there is a sense a loss here could seriously hurt any future title ambitions.

He saw off Rock Dodler Myrthil, Botirzhon Akhmedov and Jonathan Romero in Las Vegas between 2022 and 2024 on his most recent rebuild.

A victory over Kendo Castaneda in February 2025 set him up for a shot at Oscar Duarte last August, where he was edged by the skin of his teeth.

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