By Jake Donovan (photos by Tom Hogan/Hoganphotos)

Angel ‘Tito’ Acosta is set for the third defense of his junior flyweight title as he takes on former champ Ganigan Lopez.

Both boxers made weight for the intriguing Puerto Rico versus Mexico crossroads battle, which streams live Saturday evening on DAZN from a sold out Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.

Acosta (19-1, 19KOs) came in right at the 108-pound limit, although he had to strip down to his birthday suit to hit the mark. The reigning titlist from Puerto Rico initially weighed 108.4 pounds before immediately coming correct. The bout marks the second defense of the title he claimed in Dec. ’17.

Lopez (35-8, 19KOs) weighed 107.4 pounds in his bid to become a two-time junior flyweight titlist. The 37-year old veteran from Mexico City claimed a belt in a 12-round win on the road in Japan over Yu Kimuraa in March ’16, making one successful defense before dropping a 12-round decision to Ken Shiro in May ’17.

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Efforts to avenge the defeat ended in disaster, with Lopez suffering a 2nd round knockout in their rematch last May. He’s since rebounded with a 10-round win over Ricardo Rodriguez last November to return to the title stage.

Headlining the card, unbeaten lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia takes on Puerto Rico’s Jose ‘Wonder Boy’ Lopez in a 10-round battle.

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Garcia (17-0, 14KOs) weighed 134.7 pounds for the contest, which marks his second under the tutelage of Eddy and Chepo Reynoso, the team best known for their work with World middleweight king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. The bout also marks Garcia’s third time at Fantasy Springs Casino in his past five starts, all three occasions resulting in sold-out crowds.

Lopez (20-3-1, 14KOs) weighed 134 pounds for his first career bout in California. The 25-yer old from Carolina, P.R. comes on the heels of a 6th round knockout at the hands of Jonathan Oquendo last October, having not seen the win column since a 10-round decision victory last April.

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Eduardo ‘Rocky’ Hernandez fights for the first time since entering a co-promotional agreement with Golden Boy Promotions. The unbeaten super featherweight from Mexico weighed in at 128.75 pounds for a scheduled 10-round contest versus Tasmania’s Ibrahim Mgender, who weighed 129 pounds.

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