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Tonight's ESPN Friday Night Fights doubleheader has a bit more quality than the norm, as we've got a pair of intriguing and at least somewhat meaningful fights in the 122 and 154 pound divisions, live from Texas Station in Las Vegas.
In the main event, Chris Avalos (21-2, 16 KO) will face Drian Francisco (24-1-1, 19 KO) in a 10-round super bantamweight fight. Avalos, 23, has been a TV regular for the last few years, a reliable action fighter whose only losses were by split decision to the craftier Jhonatan Romero (now a world titlist) and Christopher Martin. Francisco, 30, has won four straight since a loss to Tepparith Kokietgym in May 2011. This is his first fight in 2013, and only his second in the United States. He made his US debut last November with a win over Javier Gallo.
The co-feature is a nice prospect-versus-prospect fight at 154, with Glen Tapia (18-0, 10 KO) facing Abie Han (19-0, 12 KO) in another 10-round bout. Tapia, 23, has received some gym work in the past as part of Manny Pacquiao's camps, while Han, 28, has built his record up in Texas and Oklahoma. Conventional wisdom says that the younger Tapia may be the better prospect and thus expected to win here, as he's faced a slightly better level of opposition, but this is really a fight where I think we learn just who these guys are on both ends, or at least fairly conclusively on the side of one of them if it winds up a mismatch.
BLH will have live coverage tonight starting at 10 pm EDT, so join us!