By Ryan Burton

LAS VEGAS - The stage is set for the Premier Boxing Champions event later tonight from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and live on SHOWTIME.

Headlining the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING card are featherweight world champion Carl Frampton and former three-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz, who meet in a rematch of their July Fight of the Year candidate. Televised action begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with undefeated lightweight world champion Dejan Zlaticanin battling former two-division world champion Mikey Garcia.

Saturday night’s scheduled eight-round super lightweight matchup between Josh Taylor and Alfonso Olvera will air as the opening bout on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8 p.m. ET/PT preceding the David Benavidez  vs. Sherali Mamadjanov eight-round super middleweight bout taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

IBF Featherweight World Champion Lee Selby’s scheduled SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME bout has been called off because Jonathan (Yoni) Victor Barros was denied a boxing license from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. 

Taylor was a 2012 Olympian for Scotland and a 2014 Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist.  He turned professional in June of 2015 and became the Commonwealth super lightweight champion in just his seventh professional fight, becoming the quickest fighter to ever win a Commonwealth title.  Taylor, who will fight in the U.S. for the third time, is a perfect 7-0 with seven knockouts. 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports in association with Cyclone Promotions and TGB Promotions, are priced at $504, $404, $304, $204, $104 and $54, and are on sale. Tickets are available at www.AXS.com. 

ABOUT FRAMPTON vs. SANTA CRUZ 2 - Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz 2 is a world championship rematch of the 2016 Fight of the Year candidate featherweight showdown. The 12-round bout headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING action on Saturday, January 28 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In the co-main event, lightweight world champion Dejan Zlaticanin will meet former two-division champion Mikey Garcia in the opening bout on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.