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According to Carl Moretti of Top Rank, uber-prospect Felix Verdejo, 22, already has his next fight scheduled. Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs) just stopped Josenilson Dos Santos inside of two rounds less than a month ago after recovering from hand surgery to remove bone spurs in his left hand. It appears everything is on the up-and-up on that front, as his handlers have him set for a quick turnaround.
Verdejo will be taking on Brazil's undefeated William Silva (23-0, 14 KOs) in a scheduled 10-rounder at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 27th. This fight will serve as HBO's televised co-feature, being coupled with Terence Crawford taking on Hank Lundy. A news conference formally announcing both fights is expected to be held on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
Silva last fought on the undercard of Verdejo-Dos Santos, knocking out Bayan Jargal in three rounds. After winning that fight, Silva reportedly said he couldn't wait to fight Verdejo. So now he'll get exactly what he asked for -- for better or worse. Carl Moretti rates Silva as a big and strong lightweight but also adds:
"But if Felix Verdejo is the type of fighter we think he can be we expect him to be victorious. That said I haven't come across an opponent as confident as Silva. He's a legit guy."
We'll see how legit he is next month in his first real test.