Hard-hitting junior welterweights Pablo Cesar Cano and Fidel Maldonado Jr. will square off in a 10-round fight on June 17 at the Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star in Frisco, Texas, Golden Boy Promotions announced Wednesday. The fight, which will be the first boxing event to take place at the training facility of the Dallas Cowboys, will headline a "Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN" card (ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET).
The 27-year-old Cano (30-5-1, 21 KOs), a former interim junior welterweight titlist from Mexico, is as battle-tested as they come though he lost his biggest fights -- decisions against Paulie Malignaggi and Shane Mosley and a 10th-round knockout to Erik Morales in a 2011 junior welterweight world title fight. But Cano is also coming off a 10-round split decision against fringe contender Mauricio Herrera in November and hoping to score another win and move on to a bigger fight.
"Even though I have been a professional for 11 years, I feel like I am just hitting my prime," Cano said. "With a win over Maldonado, I feel like I will be ready to take on the top opponents at 140 pounds and compete for a world title."
Maldonado (23-3-1, 19 KOs), a 25-year-old southpaw from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is 4-0-1 in his last five bouts since suffering a fifth-round knockout loss to contender Amir Imam in January 2015.
"I can't wait to get in the ring with Cano and show the Texas fans what I'm all about," Maldonado said. "People may call this a crossroads fight, but I'm only interested in taking one road -- towards a world championship."
Dallas junior welterweight prospect Vergil Ortiz Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs), who is just 19, will face an opponent to be determined in his first scheduled six-round bout.
Miguel Cotto was supposed to face James Kirkland at the 12,000-seat Ford Center at The Star on Feb. 25 in the main event of the first card at the Cowboys training facility, but it was canceled when Kirkland suffered a training injury.
Now Golden Boy is going there for a card that will take place outdoors.
"We're honored to host a great fight night with Golden Boy Boxing at Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star," Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said. "With Ford Center's outdoor video board and the turf in the plaza, the outdoor area will create a lively experience for boxing fans, and we're excited to have this event here in Frisco, Texas."
Other Dallas-based Golden Boy prospects -- junior lightweight Javier Martinez (1-0, 1 KO) and junior middleweight Alex Rincon (1-0, 1 KO) -- will also appear on the card as will San Antonio junior lightweight prospect Hector Tanajara Jr. (8-0, 4 KOs).
