Two days before Canelo Alvarez faces Erislandy Lara on pay-per-view, Argenis Mendez and Rances Barthelemy will headline on FOX Sports 1 in a rematch for Mendez's IBF super featherweight title, following a controversial fight in January on the season premiere of ESPN Friday Night Fights.
That night in Minneapolis, challenger Barthelemy (19-0, 12 KO) dominated Mendez in the opening two rounds, dropping Mendez two times in the second round. The problem was, the second knockdown came from a punch that landed clearly after the bell. Though Barthelemy was rewarded the title that night, the Minnesota commission rightly reversed the decision, changing it to a no-contest, which returned the belt to Mendez.
The IBF then also did the right thing, ordering an immediate rematch, and we've got it on tap now. Mendez (21-2-1, 11 KO) will surely be the underdog going in this time, but it's still a very good matchup, and early wipeout fights like that between two good fighters can be fluky, so Barthelemy and his team will be wise to not expect something similar the second time around.