Jose Zepeda to headline card in Mexico against Francisco Perez on March 19

WBC No.1-ranked junior welterweight Jose "Chon" Zepeda will headline a card on Saturday, March 19, at Josué Neri Santos Municipal Gym in Ciudad Juárez against Francisco "Verdugo" Perez in a 10-round bout that will be broadcast live on Azteca 7.

Mexico's Zepeda (35-2-0, 27 KO's) is coming off a brutal first-round knockout of Puerto Rico's Josue Vargas last year in New York.

This is a stay busy fight for the 32-year-old southpaw, who is in line for a shot at what is expected to be the vacant WBC junior welterweight world title should undisputed champion Josh Taylor move forward with his decision to move up to 147-pounds.

Taylor outpointed mandatory challenger Jack Catterall in a highly-disputed split decision win on February 26 in Scotland.

Zepeda has not lost in his last six fights since dropping a disputed majority decision to then-WBC 140-pound titlist Jose Ramirez in February 2019 in Fresno.

Pérez (18-12-1, 13 KOs), also from Mexico, has not fought in nearly three years and has been knocked out in back-to-back fights. Now facing one of the most devastating punchers in the division, it sounds like a recipe for disaster for Pérez. But for Zepeda, it's more of a celebration.

That won't be the end of junior welterweight action on the card as Carlos "Tiburón" Sánchez (22-0-0, 18 KO's) will risk his undefeated record against Pedro "Roca" Campa (33-1-1, 22 KO's) in a 10-round bout.

Then we move to 122-pounders as Israel Rodríguez Picazo (23-5-0, 15 KO's) and unbeaten Jesús "Chuche" Riegos (15-0-0, 12 KO's) will square off in an eight-round clash.

And Angel "Mantequillita" Nápoles (12-1-2, 5 KO's), the grandson of late, great Cuban-Mexican boxer José "Mantequilla" Nápoles is scheduled for an eight-round dance against Óscar Lozoya (5-3-1, 4 KO's).

A women's bout is also on the table, a six-round, junior flyweight contest between Naylea "Niña" Gil (11-3-1, 5 KO's) and Tania Itzel García (6-6-1).