LONE STAR FAVORITES JUAN DIAZ AND ROCKY JUAREZ STAR ON THE NEXT BAD

In the evening's main event, two former world champions - Houston's Juan Diaz (33-1, 17 KOs) and Australia's Michael Katsidis (23-1, 20 KOs) - meet in a scheduled 12-round, 135-pound contest. The engaging Diaz became a world champion at age 20, thanks to an exceptionally quick pair of hands. Outside the ring, Diaz is a college student, a community activist and one of the city's most celebrated personalities. With an extensive resume of thrilling fights, Katsidis is an exciting, all-action fighter who has scored 20 knockouts in 24 bouts, forging a reputation as one of the biggest, most relentless punchers in the lightweight division.

The evening's co-feature highlights two ambitious contenders, as Houston's Rocky Juarez (27-4, 19 KOs) squares off against hard-punching former champion Jorge Barrios (47-3-1, 34 KOs), of Tigre, Argentina, in a 12-round junior lightweight bout. Juarez is a 2000 Olympic silver medalist and hometown favorite looking to rebound after losing to Juan Manuel Marquez last November. Barrios is an experienced and exciting fighter who is hungry to regain his title.