Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna official for July 9th on DAZN

Less than two weeks after coming to terms for their ordered fight, WBC interim lightweight champion Ryan Garcia and mandatory challenger Javier Fortuna are officially set to duke it out atop a Friday, July 9th DAZN broadcast.

The venue and undercard “will be announced shortly.”

Garcia (21-0, 18 KO) claimed the belt in January with an impressive comeback knockout of Luke Campbell, setting up a bizarre situation in which he and Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KO), who’d smashed Jesus Cuellar in a 2019 eliminator, were simultaneous mandatory challengers for world champ Devin Haney. With Haney set for a May 29th voluntary defense against Jorge Linares, the WBC elected to just pit the pair against one another.

As we’ve said before, it’s a nice matchup between two heavy-handed lightweights who figure to put on a show. Fortuna’s had his ups and downs, but he’s a handful for anyone, and beating him would be a legitimate feather in Garcia’s cap.

“Fortuna is eager and will be ready, but so will I,” said Garcia. “No one can beat me in the lightweight division, period. I’m going to show the world who I am.”

“Ryan Garcia should take this fight very seriously and train properly because he will be facing, by far, the best fighter of his career,” said Fortuna. “Hopefully on fight night, there will be no excuses for his loss. I expect this fight to be a war while it lasts, but I have too much of everything for Ryan Garcia. His last fight showed how easy he is to hit. And his power won’t mean anything to me. But mine will put him to sleep.”