The fighters are ready and the stage is set for the 2011 opener of “Fight Night Club” at L.A. LIVE’s Club Nokia, tomorrow night, February 24. Now all that’s left to do is ring the opening bell on an action-packed night that includes five professional fights, three amateur bouts with the sport’s top stars in attendance, including Ten-Time World Champion in six weight divisions Oscar de la Hoya as well as former Undisputed Super Middleweight World Champion Joe Calzaghe and also featuring live musical performances by Too Short, Baby Bash and DJ Chu.
In the eight round welterweight main event, unbeaten Los Angeles native who trains in Las Vegas under Roger Mayweather, Jessie Vargas (13-0, 7 KO’s) puts his perfect record on the line against Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico’s toughman Cristian Favela (19-30-7, 10 KOs).
Leading up to the main event will be a six round super middleweight co-feature showcasing Las Vegas knockout puncher Bastie Samir (9-0, 9 KO’s) against Seattle’s Eddie Hunter (5-4-2, 2 KOs).
In the opening televised bout, Irish-born lightweight Jamie “The Nuisance” Kavanagh (4-0, 2 KO’s) who trains under Freddie Roach will battle Wilmington, California’s Ramon Flores (3-10-2, 3 KO’s) in a six round fight.
Also featured will be Las Vegas welterweight prospect Michael Finney (6-0, 6 KO’s) in a six round bout against an opponent to be named, and Santa Ana welterweight Salvador Rios (2-1, 1 KO) who takes on local rival Ricardo Malfavon (0-4) in a four round contest.
But that’s not all, as six of Los Angeles’ finest law enforcement officers will trade blows in the ring, with Chris “The Bull” Barrios, from the L.A. Sheriff Department, IRC Division, battling Juan “Bad Blood” Bustamante of the LAPD Foothill Division, Rafael “The Hammer” Zelya of the TST Division taking onSouth Gate Police Department Officer David Sanchez, and Rahsaan “The Last Thoroughbred”Harrison of the TTCF Division squaring off against the TST Division’s Andres “The Giant” Navarro in separate three-round amateur bouts.
Scheduled to appear for an autograph session open to all fans in attendance are former World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon and top middleweight contender Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs who are featured on the March 5 Golden Boy Promotions event taking place at Honda Center in Anaheim. Joining them will be current WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Amir “King” Khan, former World Champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi, top bantamweight contender Abner Mares and rising star Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin.
The special autograph session with these Golden Boy Promotions stars will be held at 7:30pm inside the arena doors at Club Nokia.
Rounding out the 2011 premiere “Fight Night Club” will feature live performances by artists Too Short, Baby Bash and DJ Chu, making this a can’t miss night of boxing and entertainment.
“Fight Night Club” is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and the evening’s professional fights will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net (FSN) and its regional sports network affiliates (check local listings) and streamed live online at www.RingTV.com at 8:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. ET. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. PT and the first bell rings at 7:00 p.m. PT. Tickets, priced at $150, $100, $60, $25 and $15 (General Admission Floor Standing Room) are available for purchase by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or through any Ticketmaster outlet or the STAPLES Center box office.
