Former Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley will take on WBA Super Lightweight champion Jessie Vargas on June 27 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
“Vargas is a good, little fighter,” Bradley told ESPN.com. “He’s a world champion, and he has to be respected. This is another good fight, another good opponent. I’m always fighting good competition. He’s undefeated. I think this is a good test for both of us and a good fight for me against an undefeated fighter.”
“I’m very excited about this fight,” Vargas told ESPN.com. “I’m extremely excited to be getting the opportunity to fight a name like Timothy Bradley, a guy who beat Manny Pacquiao. I know it was controversial, but he has a win over him. I’m trying to get closer to fighting the big names.”
“It was getting harder for me to make 140. I knew it was coming to an end, and I didn’t want to get to a point where that last half-pound would hurt me,” said Vargas, who is trained by former pound-for-pound king Roy Jones Jr. “I’m looking forward to fighting at 147. I was successful in past fights at 147.”
“Tim is a great fighter, and that’s why I’m excited. We both come to fight and give the fans a great fight,” Vargas said. “Timmy always comes and gives an exciting fight. I want to be a fan-friendly fighter.”
Said Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank, “Because of their styles, I think it’s going to be a great fight and the winner is going to come out as a big player in the division. Jessie wanted to move to 147 and he’s been on HBO before. Any time you get a good fight in the welterweight division, there’s interest, and this is a good fight in the welterweight division.
“It’s a fight that keeps Bradley going in another competitive fight, and for Jessie, it’s a chance for him to fight a big name. Jessie is sky-high for the fight.”
“It ain’t hard to get up for this fight,” he said. “He wants what I got. He wants my name on his resume. You got to get in there and show me you can beat me. I’ve faced big names in the sport, but I’m [a] risk-taker, baby. It’s me and him that night.”
