Friday night, boxing returns to the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, CA, as Tom Loeffler and 360 Promotions host a boxing card live on UFC Fight Pass. Super flyweight prospect Daniel ‘Chucky’ Barrera (4-0-1, 3 KOs) returns to action and will make his 2024 debut as he faces Jonathan Almacen (7-9-3, 2 KOs).
Barrera, a 22-year-old from Eastvale, CA, has been kept busy by his promoter since debuting in July 2022. Three of his four victories have been by knockout, which has led to Barrera becoming an early fan favorite. Of his three fights last year, two were knockouts, and the last one in August was a unanimous decision victory. Barrera said last year was “definitely a learning experience” when asked how he felt about his performances.
While Barrera has had a few months between his last fight and Friday’s event, he has kept everything the same for training camp, in addition to learning from his past mistakes. “Everything is about the same: training hard and staying in shape,” Barrera remarked. “The only thing I would say we are adding are little tricks here and there. Perfecting where I lack was the main focus for this camp. There is only so much you can perfect.”
His opponent, Almacen, doesn’t have a winning record, but that can often deceive those who don’t closely watch the sweet science. There have been plenty of times when an up-and-coming prospect fights someone with a “crooked record” and gets stopped if they don’t prepare for that level of opponent as they would any other. Barrera has studied his opponent and will not make that mistake on Friday night.
“I’ve seen video on him, and with his record, he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. He’s going to try to make it a tough fight and try to knock my head off. I don’t expect this to be an easy fight. It should be a good fight. He’s a good test for me.”
When Friday night comes and the UFC Fight Pass stream begins, Barrera looks to put on a show and leave a lasting impression, not only for those in attendance but also for those watching from home. “I’m very excited to get back in there and start the year strong. I hope I make everyone proud.” Barrera continued, “Thank you to all of my fans, supporters and sponsors. For the new fans, I hope I can gain you with my performance.”
Focusing on Friday’s opponent but also thinking ahead, Barrera revealed that his goal is to remain undefeated and get into his first eight-round fight, which he feels his style is made for. Loeffler has told the team that the goal is to get Barrera there six times this year, so you’ll see more of him in the coming months.
Can Barrera become the next exciting super flyweight under a promoter with a history of making stars of fighters in that division? He must first get past Almacen on February 23, but the future looks bright for the super flyweight prospect Barrera.
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