Boxing: Takashi Miura to Face Francisco Vargas on Cotto-‘Canelo’ Undercard

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Golden Boy Promotions on Tuesday added a pair of matchups to the televised undercard of its Miguel Cotto-“Canelo” Alvarez event.

Set for Nov. 21 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, the HBO pay-per-view has been bolstered with a world title fight featuring Takashi Miura defending his WBC junior lightweight belt for the fifth time against 2008 Olympian Francisco Vargas in a 12-round bout.

Miura (29-2-2, 22 KOs) has been on a tear lately, having won nine in a row, with six of those wins coming via stoppage. The Japanese product last fought in May, when he took out Billy Dib in the third round.

“Francisco Vargas has proved himself to be a tough competitor,” Miura said in a statement. “But, I have repeatedly fought to keep my WBC title and on November 21, I will show American fans once again why I am a champion.”

Vargas (22-0-1, 16 KOs) scored his biggest win in July 2014 when he flattened former world champion Juan Manuel Lopez in the third. He’s coming off a terrific eighth-round stoppage of Will Tomlinson in March, which set him up for his first world title fight.

“To add the WBC title to my (regional) titles would be the ultimate victory and a great ending to 2015,” said Vargas. “I am training hard and ready to bring a fight to the ring at Mandalay Bay. Takashi Miura better be ready because I am coming for him on November 21.”

Also added to the undercard was a 10-round featherweight duel between unbeaten Puerto Rican Jayson Velez (23-0-1, 16 KOs) and Ronny Rios (24-1, 10 KOs).

Velez last fought in June, besting Daniel Ramirez over 10 rounds. California’s Rios was recently stopped in the fifth by journeyman Robinson Castellanos, but he bounced back with a decision win over Sergio Frias in March.