Isaac Cruz will attempt to build on the most impressive performance of his career March 13.

BoxingScene.com has learned that the Mexican lightweight contender and Spain’s Jon Fernandez have agreed to meet in a 10-round bout that night in Uncasville, Connecticut. Showtime will televise the Cruz-Fernandez fight as part of a three-bout broadcast from Mohegan Sun Arena.

The 22-year-old Cruz (20-1-1, 15 KOs) viciously knocked out Diego Magdaleno (32-4, 13 KOs) in the first round of his last fight, a scheduled 12-round IBF elimination match on the Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz pay-per-view undercard October 31 at Alamodome in San Antonio.

The 25-year-old Fernandez (21-1, 18 KOs) has won five consecutive fights since suffering his lone loss in September 2018. Houston’s O’Shaquie Foster (18-2, 11 KOs) defeated Fernandez by unanimous decision in a 10-rounder that headlined a “ShoBox: The New Generation” card at FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Cruz is the IBF’s second-ranked contender to its lightweight champion, Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs), who will face mandatory challenger George Kambosos Jr. (19-0, 10 KOs) in his next fight. Though both boxers have agreed to contractual terms for their bout, the Cruz-Fernandez fight is contingent on Fernandez receiving a visa that’ll allow him to travel from Spain to the United States in time for their bout next month.

Regardless, Showtime’s telecast March 13 will feature former WBC super middleweight champ David Benavidez. Phoenix’s Benavidez (23-0, 20 KOs) is set to encounter Ronald Ellis (18-1-2, 12 KOs, 1 NC), of Lynn, Massachusetts, in the 12-round main event that night.

The third fight Showtime will air March 13 will match Uzbekistan’s Kudratillo Abdukakhorov against Puerto Rico’s Javier Flores. That welterweight bout also is scheduled for 10 rounds.

Abdukakhorov (17-0, 9 KOs) is the IBF’s number one contender for Errol Spence Jr.’s welterweight title. Flores (15-2, 13 KOs, 1 NC) will take a step up in competition versus Abdukakhorov. 

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.