ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will originate from San Antonio, Texas July 1 at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN3D, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com when former welterweight world title challenger Sebastian “Iron” Lujan (37-5-2, 1 ND, 23 KOs) and undefeated lightweight Mickey Bey (16-0-1, 8 KOs) are featured in co-main events. Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside at Freeman Coliseum describing the action, while studio host Brian Kenny will present all the latest boxing news and highlights. The card is presented by Top Rank Promotions.
Friday will be the third telecast on ESPN 3D, with additional telecasts July 8, July 22 and August 5.
ESPN Deportes will present an interview with the USA’s number-one ranked amateur Jose Ramirez, who won the USA lightweight championship last weekend in Colorado Springs, qualifying for the Olympic trials in Mobile in August.
This Friday Argentina’s Lujan who has won his last 11 fights, including a May 10-round unanimous decision win over Jorge Miranda in his last fight, will meet the Philippine’s “Mighty” Mark Melligen (21-2, 14 KOs). Lujan took this fight on short notice when originally scheduled Freddy Hernandez was injured in training.
“We’ve wanted this fight with Melligen for some time,” said Lujan’s advisor Ray Alcorta. “When Hernandez was injured, I called the matchmaker and told him Lujan was still in the gym and ready to go, and they took him. He’s in good shape. He’s ready to fight.”
Cleveland’s Bey, looking to rebound after an eight-round draw against Jose Hernandez in his last fight, will meet Mexico’s Alejandro “Soma” Rodriguez (12-3, 6 KOs). Bey, a 2004 U.S. Olympian trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr. said, “I’ve been getting ready for this fight for about six weeks so far, Floyd is pretty well-rounded and so am I. You never know what a guy’s going to, so I just go in there, feel him out, see what he’s going to do. That’s what I do every fight.”
