The battle is on as welterweight superpowers Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito will square-off in a compelling and eagerly awaited world title fight Saturday, July 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.  "The Battle!" ("La Batalla!") will determine the division's champion and arguably boxing's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.  Promoted by Top Rank, the fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m.EST/6 p.m. PST.


Cotto vs. Margarito Tickets


Promoter Bob Arum believes this fight will be a big one saying, "Cotto vs. Margarito is such a compelling fight because both champions bring so many powerful assets into it.  They are both in their prime, at the top of their game and they are fighting with so much at stake professionally and personally.  Every fight they have fought has been a buildup to this exciting showdown and soon we will find out which one is the world's best welterweight.  This is more than just a world title fight.  It's a mandate."


This fight marks the first time Cotto has fought in Las Vegas since 2004 when he knocked out Randall Bailey in the sixth round, en route to successfully defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title for the first time.  "I am thrilled to finally be fighting Antonio Margarito in the biggest fight of my career, in Las Vegas – the fight capital of the world," said Cotto.


"I am a fighting champion which means not only staying active, but staying active against the best fighters man enough to stand up to me.  Like Shane Mosley and Zab Judah before him, Margarito represents the biggest challenge of my career.  And like Mosley and Judah, Margarito will leave the ring second best.  I can't wait to get to him."


Cotto (32-0, 26 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, a two-division world champion, won the WBO junior welterweight championship in September 2004, knocking out undefeated contender Kelson Pinto for the vacant title.  He successfully defended the belt six times during his two-year reign before vacating it to challenge undefeated contender Carlos Quintana.  He stopped Quintana in the fifth round to capture the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight crown in December 2006.  Cotto has successfully defended it four times, going the distance only once.


Margarito returns to Las Vegas for the first time in more than two years.  In February 2006 he knocked out Manuel Gomez in the first round in defense of his WBO welterweight belt.  Margarito said, "I have wanted this fight against Cotto for so long.  I am going to make that ring a pressure cooker for Cotto.  I will be in one gear for our fight – forward.  I will wear him down, break him down and knock him out.  July 26 can't come fast enough for me."


Margarito (36-5, 26 KOs), from Tijuana, Mexico, is a two-time welterweight champion.  He knocked out Antonio Diaz in the 10th round to capture the vacant WBO title in March 2002.  He successfully defended it seven times during his five-year reign before losing it to Paul Williams in July 2007 via a close 12-round decision.  He captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title in his most recent fight on April 12, knocking out defending champion Kermit Cintron in the sixth round.


Mark Taffet, of HBO Pay-Per-View, agreed saying, "Cotto-Margarito is a premier matchup between two of the best and toughest welterweights in the world today.  It is the type of head-to-head, toe-to-toe championship battle that fight fans love."


MGM MIRAGE President of Sports & Entertainment Richard Sturm said, "We are thrilled to be working with Top Rank on this championship fight.  I can't think of a better way to heat up the summer than by watching the war between these two great champions at MGM Grand in July."


Cotto vs. Margarito Tickets


MGM Grand Hotel and Casino