Puerto Rico's Xander Zayas will get his first chance at a world title when he faces Mexico's Jorge Garcia for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title in New York on July 26, Top Rank announced Thursday.
"When we signed Xander at the age of 16, he was a teenager with all the potential in the world. He's now an accomplished young contender with a tremendous opportunity to win his first world title," Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said in a statement. "Jorge Garcia has been impressive lately, and I expect an action-packed, dramatic main event at The Theater at Madison Square Garden."
The fight card will be broadcast on ESPN.
Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) turned pro a year after signing with Top Rank. Since then, he has climbed the ladder into title contention. Now 22, Zayas will aim to win his first world title against the upset-minded Garcia.
"This is a dream I've worked hard for my entire life. I've got a good opponent in Jorge Garcia, a Mexican hungry to become a world champion," Zayas said. "But I'm ready to raise the Puerto Rican flag high in victory and become a world champion at 22 years old."
Zayas will have to deal with Garcia, who is coming off a stunning upset of previously undefeated Charles Conwell in April. Garcia (33-4, 26 KOs) has won eight consecutive fights since dropping a split decision to Etoundi Michel William in January 2023.
"A lot of people thought I wasn't going to win my last fight, but I scored a stunning upset," said Garcia. "Even though I was the underdog, I shocked the world. This fight won't be any different. Becoming a world champion is my dream, and I'm ready to make it come true on July 26 with a dominant win over Xander Zayas. Mexico will have a new champion this summer."
Also featured on the fight card will be undefeated featherweight Bruce "Shu Shu" Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) and rising junior welterweight star Emiliano Vargas (14-0, 12 KOs) in separate fights.
Carrington will face Namibia's Mateus Heita (14-0, 9 KOs) for the WBC interim featherweight title in the co-main event.
Vargas, the youngest son of former world champion Fernando Vargas, will look to turn back the challenge of Ecuador's Alexander Espinoza (20-3-1, 9 KOs) in the televised opener.