By Ryan Burton

BoxingScene.com has been advised that top rated lightweight Felix "Diamante" Verdejo (23-0) will face Antonio Lozada (37-2) on September 22nd on the under of WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez's title defense against Genesis Servania.  The main event along with Gilberto Ramirez versus Jesse Hart will be televised by ESPN and take place at the Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona.

Verdejo was scheduled to face WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan but Flanagan pulled out of the fight with an injury. Since Flanagan is likely out until at least December the WBO gave Verdejo the option of taking an interim fight. Verdejo last fought in February when he won a workmanlike decision over Oliver Flores.

Lozada has won five bouts in a row since losing to Ramiro Alcaraz.

Verdejo is scheduled to arrive in Big Bear, California later this week where he and his trainer/manager Ricky Marquez will work at Abel Sanchez's The Summit Gym. Sanchez is currently training world champions Gennady Golovkin and Murat Gassiev and several others for their upcoming fights and will also help with Verdejo.

IN OTHER NEWS: Tickets are now on sale for the highly-anticipated rematch between bitter Super-Welterweight rivals Liam Smith and Liam Williams at the Metro Arena Newcastle on Saturday 28th October.

After their epic first encounter ended in controversial fashion, former WBO World Super-Welterweight Champion Smith and reigning British Super-Welterweight Champion Williams, will aim to settle the score on neutral ground in a WBO World Title Eliminator.

An action-packed undercard is set to feature some of the very best emerging local North East talent, as well as some other excellent young fighters from further afield.
 
Country Durham’s Thomas Patrick Ward (20-0) will defend his British Super-Bantamweight Championship against Brimingham’s Sean Davis (13-1-0); whilst Guisborough’s Josh Leather (12-0) will face Sunderland’s Glen Foot (20-1-0) in a what is set to be a pulsating North East Derby for the IBF European Super-Lightweight Championship.

In addition, local prospects Troy Williamson (Darlington, 3-0) Kalam Leather (Guisborough, 2-0) Joe Maphosa (Thornaby, 1-0) Michael Watson (Sedgefield, Pro debut) and Jeff Saunders (11-0) of Sedgefield will all appear on the bill.

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