TWO-time world champion Brian Viloria resumes his comeback bid Sunday (Manila time) as he squares off against American Miguel Cartagena at the Stubhub Center in Carson, California.
The eight-round bout marks the second time the Fil-Am boxer will fight this year after parting ways with long-time promoter Top Rank last year.
Viloria returned to the ring last March after more than a year away from boxing. He won an eight-round unanimous decision against Ruben Montoya.
Now 36, Viloria says he trained hard against Cartagena as if he's 'fighting for a world title,' hopeful an impressive win would line him up at a crack at another championship.
"Age doesn't matter in this sport. It's how you treat yourself and prepare for each fight," said Viloria following the official weigh-in Saturday also in Carson, California, where he tipped in at 113.4 lbs.
Cartagena (15-3-1 with 6 KOs) came at 113.6 lbs.
The Viloria-Cartagena match serves as undercard in 'The Superfly' show that features two fighters with who the Fil-Am pug had unfinished business - Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzales.
Estrada, the former world flyweight champion from Mexico, will fight Carlos Quadras in the main undercard, while Gonzales headlines the main event against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in a rematch of their World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight title bout.
Viloria (37-5, 22 KOs) lost his World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) crowns against Estrada via split decision in 2013 at the Cotai Arena in Macau, then failed to dethrone Gonzales for the WBC flyweight title in 2015 after losing by a ninth round TKO at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
"That's the beauty of this card, anybody can be mixed and match," said Viloria, a former Olympian. "I fought a couple of them already, Estrada, Gonzales.
"Hopefully, they come out and show the world what the super-flyweight has in store. It will catch a lot of fight fans' viewership."
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