Felix Verdejo returns to action Oct. 31st

The 2014 ESPN prospect of the year, Felix Verdejo, has been cleared to get back to work following surgery on his left hand and will be back in the ring at the end of the month. The Puerto Rican Verdejo (18-0, 13 KOs) will be headlining UniMas' "Solo Boxeo Tecate" card on October 31st when he'll take on Brazil's Josenilson Dos Santos (27-3, 17 KOs) in Kissimmee, Florida.

"I'm very happy to return to the same place where fans have treated me so well before," Verdejo said. "I want Florida to be one of the main [places] where I fight, along with Puerto Rico and New York. I want to give them all that love back with a big win on Oct. 31."

Verdejo is a fast rising star in the lightweight division and most recently made his HBO debut when he routed the then-undefeated Ivan Najera back in June. Verdejo was said to have problems with his left hand going into that fight, and shortly after the bout he went to visit a specialist who had to remove bone spurs from the hand.

According to Carl Moretti, Vice President of Top Rank, Verdejo followed a tough and strict rehabilitation program for the hand following his surgery, which has now payed dividends.

"He realizes that in order to get back in the ring he had to go through this plethora of physical tests and demanding rehab, and to his credit he didn't miss any scheduled appointments or treatments," Moretti said. "It's a reflection on him being such a professional, and now he can back in the ring and do what he does best."

His opponent, Dos Santos, is currently coming off a year layoff after getting KO'd by Paul Moses last October. Dos Santos is unrated by BoxRec and has seldom fought outside of his native Brazil, which should tell you all you really need to know about this fight -- it's not anything but a get-well fight for Verdejo.

Should Verdejo get through this fight without any issues, Moretti would like to schedule him for another fight before the year ends.