WBC super featherweight champion Francisco "El Bandido" Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KOs) of Mexico City will have a tough task as he takes on former three-time world champion Orlando "Siri" Salido (43-13-3, 30 KOs, 1 NC) of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico this Saturday, June 4 at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California live on HBO.
"This will be my first defense of my title and I am ready for the big challenge that Salido represents," Francisco Vargas told Southern California Boxing.com
Having begun his preparation in Mexico City, Vargas has been working with his longtime trainer Guillermo "Sargento" Becerril and resumed his camp in Southern California as he gears up for the former world champion Salido.
"We had a great intense strong preparation just like all the camps and I am ready for this fight," Vargas said. "Sparring has been great the guys I sparred really helped me out and prepared me for this fight with Salido," Vargas added.
Along the way Vargas hit a bump during camp as part of a voluntary drug testing program he tested positive for a banned substance clenbuterol. Vargas says it was due to ingesting contaminated meat in Mexico where clenbuterol is commonly used by ranchers in feeding livestock. The champ talked about the dilemma.
"Well it turns out that I tested positive for a minimum amount of that substance that was due for eating contaminated meat. After that I was tested five times and I came out clean (negative) in those test. I am sure I will be tested again and I am not hiding anything," Vargas said.
With that said Vargas looks to put that issue behind him as now the focus is on Salido as Vargas is coming off a tenth round stoppage over Takashi Miura rallying from a knockdown and was badly cut as he won the WBC super featherweight title in the 2015 Fight of the Year.
"It was a great fight and big win. I managed to win the title in a great fashion now the people expect a similar fight," Vargas said.
Salido in his last fight came up short in earning a draw against Roman Martinez in their rematch as many experts saw Salido winning. A 20 year veteran has had over 50 fights in his career and has been in the ring with the likes of former world champions Alejandro Gonzalez, and Cesar Soto, other notable names include Juan Manuel Marquez, Yuriorkis Gamboa, a pair of TKO’s over Juan Manuel Lopez, and a win over current WBO featherweight champ Vasyl Lomachenko.
"He is a fighter with lots of experience that comes forward and leaves it all in the ring. I know he comes with everything and I prepared myself for that he will bring it all and I am ready for him," Vargas said.
Vargas vs. Salido will be a scheduled 12 round battle for Vargas’s WBC super featherweight title. The two Mexican warriors will get it on under the lights at the Stub Hub Center, a venue which has hosted many memorable fights including Mexican warriors Israel Vasquez vs. Rafael Marquez, Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado 1, Timothy Bradley vs. Ruslan Provodnikov.
"I feel this fight will be exciting when you have two Mexicans you are guaranteed fireworks and our styles will clash," Vargas said.
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