Yokasta Valle welcomes a fight with Gabriela Fundora, but she first wants to become an undisputed champion at strawweight.

Valle recently won a split decision over Marlen Esparza on Saturday at Poliforum Benito Juarez in Cancun, Mexico. The bout was at flyweight, marking the first time Valle fought at the weight class in her career.

Valle, 33-3 (10 KOs), is currently the WBC women’s strawweight titleholder and has previously held belts at junior flyweight. She moved up two weight classes to face Esparza, who was perceived as one of the top fighters in the division. Logically, one might assume Fundora could be next for her, but that isn’t the case: Valle is aiming to become an undisputed champion in the 105lbs division.

“Of course I want to fight Fundora, but now I have to keep my word and fight at 105lbs,” Valle told BoxingScene. “Right now, my mandatory challenger is Umi Uchikawa, and I also want to face Sarah Bormann and WBA titleholder Yoko Kuroki, from Japan. I was robbed of the chance to become undisputed, but I’m coming for all the belts.”

When asked about moving up at this week’s WBC Women’s Summit in Las Vegas, Valle, a 32-year-old from San Juan, Costa Rica, spoke with a sense of purpose. Although her current plan isn’t to fight at flyweight, the matchup with Esparza has always interested her. 

“I’ve always wanted to face the best, and Marlen was someone I had in mind for a long time,” Valle said. “When the opportunity came, I couldn’t say no – not just for myself, but for the growth of women’s boxing.”

Fundora, 15-0 (7 KOs), claimed the undisputed crown in November, stopping Gabriela Alaniz. If Alaniz’s name sounds familiar, it should – she defeated Esparza, 15-3 (1 KO), last year to claim the WBO and WBC flyweight titles. Fundora, a 23-year-old from Coachella, California, who held the IBF and WBA titles, would unify all four belts in a star-making performance. Fundora is set to return against Marilyn Badillo on April 19 at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, in the main event of the Golden Boy Promotions card. 

“And maybe – just maybe – if Fundora holds all the titles in her division, we can meet for an undisputed-versus-undisputed showdown at a catchweight,” Valle said. “That’s my plan.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.