Mikey Garcia's first fight as a member of the Matchroom Boxing roster will come against a former welterweight champion in Jessie Vargas.
Matchroom Boxing announced that Garcia will face Vargas in the main event of a Matchroom Boxing on DAZN card from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on February 29, 2020. The fight will be contested at welterweight, Garcia's second straight at that weight.
The 32-year-old Garcia signed a one-fight promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing and according to Mike Coppinger of The Athletic that Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn does have the right to match any offer for Garcia’s next fight after that February 29 bout.
Garcia, who has held titles at featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight and junior welterweight, was unsuccessful in becoming the latest boxer to win a title in five different weight classes when he dropped a 12-round decision to IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in March. Spence dominated the bout, winning every single round to retain the title in the main event of a PBC on FOX pay-per-view.
Vargas once held the WBO welterweight title in 2016, capturing the belt by defeating Sadam Ali with a ninth-round TKO win. Vargas would go on to drop the belt to Manny Pacquiao later that year, losing a 12-round decision. Since then, Vargas is undefeated in four fights with a 2-0-2 record. His two draws came against Adrien Broner and Thomas Dulorme in 2018. In his lone fight this year, he stopped Humberto Soto on a DAZN card in California in April.
