Marquez, Diaz clash in title rematch

MANILA, Philippines - Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz slug it out in a title rematch of their 2009 Fight of the Year.

The 12-round bout to be aired by Solar TV and Solar Sports, will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on July 31 (Aug. 1 in Manila), with the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight titles of Marquez at stake.

The fight will be shown on World Class Boxing from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. over Solar TV and Solar Sports.

The two warriors went at each other Feb. 28 of last year at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, in a virtual slugfest filled with furious exchanges. Marquez came back from a slow start and pummeled Diaz later in the fight to score a ninth round technical knockout.

At the time referee Rafael Ramos stopped the fight, Marquez was ahead in one of the judges’ scorecard (77-75), while Diaz got the nod of the other one (77-75). The third judge had it tied at 76-76.

The dramatic ending and the explosiveness that typified each round earned it the 2009 Fight of the Year honor from the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), ESPN.com, and the Ring Magazine.

One of Mexico’s legendary warriors, Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) has won world titles in the featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight divisions over the course of a 17-year pro career bound for the Hall of Fame.

Winner of six of his last eight bouts, the only losses coming at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Filipino Manny Pacquiao, Marquez remains on top of his game even at the advance age of 36.

On the other hand, Diaz has been fighting as a pro at the age of 16.

At 26, Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs) has practically grown up in the fight game and held the world lightweight title from 2004 to 2007.

A native of Houston Texas, he’s now looking to regain the crown in Las Vegas, where he has been unbeaten in four fights.