One of the most successful American boxers in the 2016 Olympics is now turning professional. Nico Hernandez, who won a light flyweight bronze medal for the U.S. in Rio, will be making his pro debut on the undercard of Terence Crawford’s title defense against John Molina. BoxingScene first reported the news.
The fight will take place on Dec. 10 in Crawford’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.
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Hernandez, 20, was the first American to win a medal in boxing since the 2008 Olympics. He fights out of Wichita, Kansas.
He was a relative unknown heading into the 2016 Rio Olympics, and his upset victories quickly became one of Olympic boxing’s top stories. He beat Italian favorite Manuel Cappai and then, in his most surprising performance, defeated Vasili Egorov of Russia. Egorov was a world championship silver medalist and a heavy favorite entering the contest.
He then beat Ecuador’s Carlos Quipo Pilataxi and finally lost a hard-fought decision against Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan.