:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/286926/uic_pavilion.jpg)
The December 12 rematch between Paulie Malignaggi and Juan Diaz has found a home in Chicago. BoxingScene.com reports that the two will meet at the UIC Pavilion, which holds 7-10,000 for boxing.
The venue has been a pretty frequent home for fights and is located near Chicago's Little Italy, which may give them a chance to draw with Malignaggi. Dominic Pesoli's 8 Count Productions runs there frequently, and the recent David Diaz-Jesus Chavez fight was held at the building as well. WEC has also run there.
It's a good location, much better than the last major card held in Chicago, the Juan Diaz-Julio Diaz fight that was in Hoffman Estates, which is fairly out of the way. It's also worth noting that Don King promoted that fight horribly, and that Golden Boy and DiBella Entertainment will almost surely do better than King did. Chicago could be an amazing fight city if given proper treatment and marketing; there's as much diversity there as anywhere in America and it's a great sports town.
Victor Ortiz will meet Antonio Diaz on the televised undercard.