Francisco Vargas vs Orlando Salido to be officially announced on March 31

Francisco Vargas will make the first defense of his WBC super featherweight title on June 4, facing veteran Orlando "Siri" Salido at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, live on HBO Boxing After Dark. The fight will be officially announced at a press conference on Thursday, March 31.

Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KO) won the 130-pound belt on November 21, defeating Takashi Miura in the unanimous choice for Fight of the Year, an instant classic that saw both men bloodied, battered, and dropped over the course of the fight, which was stopped in the ninth round.

Salido (43-13-3, 30 KO) had two Fight of the Year contenders in 2015 in a pair of bouts against Rocky Martinez, the first a loss in Puerto Rico in April, and the second a draw on the Mayweather-Berto undercard in September. The 35-year-old Salido is a three-time featherweight titleholder, and won the interim WBO belt at 130 pounds in 2014, as well. He's known for his rugged, all action style, competing in wars not just with Martinez, but with the likes of Juan Manuel Lopez, Cristobal Cruz, and Terdsak Kokietgym, as well.

Given the styles of the two fighters, their reputations, and the location of the fight, this is expected to be nothing short of a Fight of the Year contender.