Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz will meet, in a rematch of their furious lightweight title fight last year, in Las Vegas on July 31.
American gets chance of redemption against Mexican in July
Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz will meet in a rematch of their furious lightweight title fight last year in Las Vegas on July 31.
Five-time world champion Marquez won a ninth round stoppage over Diaz to claim the vacant WBA and WBO lightweight belts in a bitter battle in Houston last February.
Former undisputed lightweight champion Diaz has lost three of his last five fights, while Mexican Marquez was beaten last time out when stepping up two weight classes against Floyd Mayweather.
The fight was announced at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on Saturday, with a July 31 date and venue being the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Marquez, who includes 37 knockouts in his record of 50-5-1, says American Diaz deserves a rematch and believes it will be an even more exciting fight than the first one.
Fight of the year
"Our fight was the fight of the year in 2009 and it may be the fight of the year again in 2010," Marequez said.
"A lot of people are asking me why Juan Diaz again? Number one, he is a great fighter and deserves a rematch. Number two, the people deserve a great fight like this.
"Juan Diaz is a true warrior and I know he's going to come at me even harder than in our first fight.
"He deserves the rematch and I know he will come out with everything one more time, but I've got some new tricks for him and I'm going to come out fast on July 31, so I expect an even faster win than last time."
Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs) is desperate to even out the score after enjoying a great start in the first fight before being stopped in the ninth.
"It's no secret my loss to Marquez is the one I want to get back the most," he said.
"I was dominating the first fight but I didn't finish (it off). This time, that won't be the case and I promise my fans that I will get the victory on July 31."
