Junior featherweight contender Diego De La Hoya has been a professional prize fighter since 2013 but has never had a chance to fight in his hometown of Mexicali, Mexico or even in his home country.
That will change when De La Hoya, the 24-year-old first cousin of Hall of Famer and promoter Oscar De La Hoya, will defend his regional 122-pound belts against Edixon Perez on Nov. 17 (beIN Sports Espanol, 11 p.m. ET), in a 10-round bout at the Plaza De Toros Calafia in Mexicali, Golden Boy Promotions announced Thursday.
“I’m delighted to return to my hometown and defend my titles,” De La Hoya said. “I’ve developed my career in the United States, but I’m happy to fight for the first time as a professional in Mexico. There’s no better way than to come back as a headliner.”
De La Hoya (21-0, 10 KOs), who is close to earning a world title opportunity, notched his biggest win in September 2017 when he cruised to a one-sided 10-round decision over former bantamweight world titlist Randy Caballero. De La Hoya has been limited to only one fight so far in 2018, a seventh-round knockout of former world title challenger Jose Salgado on June 8.
Perez (17-2, 12 KOs), 26, of Venezuela, has won six fights in a row, four of them by knockout, following back-to-back defeats. He will be taking a step up in the level of his opposition against De La Hoya and said he was not concerned about fighting in his opponent’s hometown.
“It is a privilege to fight in Mexico against a renowned boxer like Diego De La Hoya,” Perez said. “I’m going to my opponent’s backyard, but I am not going out without a fight. Local fans will find out who is Edixon Perez on the day of the fight.”
In the co-feature, Seniesa Estrada (14-0, 4 KOs), 26, of East Los Angeles, California, will face Debora Rengifo (11-5-1, 6 KOs), 31, of Venezuela, in a 10-round women’s junior flyweight bout.