Former Interim World Champion to Fight at Indio Casino

Photo courtesy of Fantasy Springs Resort

By City News Service

Johan Perez of Venezuela will make the first defense of his fringe North American Boxing Association title against undefeated Russian welterweight Dmitry Mikhaylenko on Saturday night in the scheduled 12-round main event of a boxing card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio.

The 32-year-old Perez (20-2-1, 13 knockouts) won the previously vacant title in his last fight with a 12-round unanimous decision over Humberto Mauro Gutierrez of Mexico on Jan. 16 in Venezuela.

Perez won the interim World Boxing Association super lightweight championship with a 12-round majority decision over previously undefeated American Paul Spadafora on Nov. 30, 2013, made one successful defense, then lost the title to Mauricio Herrera of Riverside in a 12-round majority decision July 12, 2014.

The 29-year-old Mikhaylenko (19-0, 8 KOs) won each of his first 16 professional bouts in Russia, capturing the World Boxing Organization European welterweight title.

Tonight’s fight is the fourth time Mikhaylenko will be fighting in North America and third time in the U.S.

Perez weighed in Friday at the 147-pound welterweight limit, one pound heavier than Mikhaylenko.

In the scheduled 10-round co-main event, Manuel Avila of Fairfield, California (17-0, 7 KOs) will fight Yoandris Salinas of Miami (21-1-2, 14 KOs) for the vacant interim North American Boxing Federation super bantamweight title.

The televised portion of the card will also include a scheduled 10-round super featherweight fight between Daulis Prescott of Colombia (29-2, 22 KOs) and southpaw Tevin Farmer of Philadelphia (19-4-1, 4 KOs).

Former four-division major world champion Roy Jones Jr. will sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans from 6-7 p.m. in the Special Events Center.

The televised portion of the card will be shown live beginning at 7:30 p.m. on the East Coast feed of the Spanish-language cable network HBO Latino and on a delayed basis at 10:30 p.m. on the West Coast feed. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with the first bout of the nine-bout starting at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are priced at $25, $35 and $45 and are available at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at fantasyspringsresort.com.