Elwin ‘La Pulga’ Soto plans to hunt bigger game in 2020.

For now, he will settle for a fight in a bigger division in order to get back in the ring.

A homecoming appearance awaits the reigning junior flyweight titlist, who will face countryman Javier Alejandro ‘Pumita’ Rendon (10-4-3, 4KOs) in a scheduled 10-round flyweight contest, Soto’s promoter Zanfer Boxing confirmed on Monday.

The bout will air live on TV Azteca this Saturday at Auditorio del Estado in Soto’s hometown of Mexicali, Mexico.

Soto (16-1, 11KOs) returns south of the border for the first time as a major titlist, although his belt will not be at stake this weekend. The 23-year old puncher is coming off of back-to-back title fight wins in the United States, wresting the 108-pound strap from Puerto Rico’s Angel ‘Tito’ Acosta in the 12th round of their wild slugfest last June at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. Four months later came his first title defense and in the same venue, where he barely outlasted Philippines’ Edward Heno in a narrow 12-round decision.

Rendon represents the biggest physical challenge that Soto has faced to date, though far from the best. The 23-year old from Hermosillo fights outside of his home state of Sonora for just the second time in his three-plus year career. The lone other occasion came in his fourth pro fight, suffering a 2nd round knockout at the hands of Jose Alejandro Burgos in their June 2017 preliminary bout in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. 

Saturday’s clash versus Rendon marks the first for Soto in his Baja California home state since last May, having racked up the second of two straight early round knockouts in his birth town of San Felipe, BC, Mexico. The bout represents Soto’s first ever fight in his current hometown.

With a win, the expectation is for Soto to resume his 108-pound title reign.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox