The time is finally here for Jose Ramirez, who will make the first defense of his WBC super lightweight world title against top contender Antonio Orozco on Friday at the Save Mart Center. Ramirez (22-0, 16 KOs) was supposed to defend his title at the Save Mart Center on July 7, but the bout was canceled when Danny O'Connor was hospitalized for dehydration before the weigh-in. Orozco (27-0, 17 KOs) represents his toughest test to date. (Photos by Mikey Williams).

In the co-feature, United States Marine Corps veteran Jamel Herring (17-2, 10 KOs) will take on John Vincent Moralde (20-1, 10 KOs) for the vacant USBA junior lightweight title. And, in a special feature, 18-year-old phenom Gabriel Flores Jr. (9-0, 5 KOs) will face Roger Gutierrez (7-1-1, 4 KOs) in a six-round lightweight bout.

ramirez-herring (1)

In other action: Fresno native Isidro Ochoa (5-0, 1 KO) will fight Elio De Jesus in a six-round featherweight bout, top super bantamweight prospect Santos Ortega (2-0, 1 KO) returns in a four-rounder, 140-pound contender Hiroki Okada (17-0, 12 KOs) will face Cristian Coria (27-6-2, 11 KOs) in a 10-rounder, Alexander Besputin (10-0, 8 KOs) will battle Alan Sanchez (20-3-1, 10 KOs) for the vacant USBA welterweight title, and former two-time interim world champion Bryan Vasquez (37-3, 20 KOs) makes his return against Carlos Cardenas (21-14-1, 13 KOs) in a lightweight bout.

ochoa (2)_1

Ramirez-Orozco, Herring-Moralde, and Flores-Gutierrez will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET, with the entire undercard to be streamed at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+— the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

jose-ramirez (2)_7

herring (2)

herring (1)

jose-ramirez (1)_8

gabriel-flores (3)_1

jose-ramirez (3)_7

gabriel-flores (4)

gabriel-flores (1)_1

gabriel-flores (2)_1

antonio-orozco (2)

antonio-orozco