Boxing
Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer 6y

Diego De La Hoya to seek fifth win of 2017 vs. Jose Salgado

Boxing

Junior featherweight prospect Diego De La Hoya hopes to close 2017 with a fifth win this year and move onto a chance to fight for a world title fight in 2018.

De La Hoya will fight Jose Salgado in the 10-round main event of the Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN season finale on Dec. 14 (ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, 10:30 p.m. ET) at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California, Golden Boy announced on Friday.

De La Hoya (20-0, 9 KOs), 23, of Mexico, is a first cousin of International Boxing Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya. He's coming off the biggest win of his career on Sept.16, when he cruised to a one-sided 10-round decision victory against former bantamweight world titleholder Randy Caballero on the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin HBO PPV undercard at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

"I'd like to thank Golden Boy Promotions and my manager [cousin Joel De La Hoya] once again for keeping me busy with this final fight of 2017," De La Hoya said. "It'll be my fifth fight this year, and my team and I feel confident in my progression. I'm looking forward to closing the year off at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and on ESPN. I anticipate 2018 to be even greater."

Said Oscar De La Hoya: "Diego showed us with every fight this year that he continues to hone his craft and get better with every opponent. This will be a fun fight for the fans and a great way to close out what has been a phenomenal year for Diego."

Salgado (35-4-2, 28 KOs) is 1-2 in his past three bouts, including a fourth-round knockout loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, who went on to win a junior bantamweight title in March when he upset Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez.

"Since my last fight, I have been hoping for an opportunity like this one," said Salgado, 28, of Mexico, who dropped a 10-round split decision to Javier Gallo in April in his last bout.

"This fight motivates me. De La Hoya is a great challenge, and I hope he is prepared to take me on. On Dec. 14, I am going to give it my all to come out victorious for my fans and family."

In the co-feature, junior lightweight Carlos Morales (16-2-3, 6 KOs), 27, a Mexico native fighting of Los Angeles, will look to rebound from a 10-round decision loss to Alberto Machado in August; Machado knocked out Jezreel Corrales in his next fight last month to win a world title.

Morales will take on Dardan Zenunaj (14-3, 11 KOs), 30, a Kosovo native also fighting out of Los Angeles, in a 10-round bout. Zenunaj has won two fights in a row after two decision losses in a row.

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