Petr Petrov and Michael Perez will square off in a lightweight world title elimination bout on Sept. 30 in Indio, California, Golden Boy Promotions announced Friday.
The Fantasy Springs Resort Casino fight, which will headline on Golden Boy's "Boxeo Estelar" series on Estrella TV, will put the winner in position to become the mandatory challenger for 135-pound world title held by Anthony Crolla (31-4-3, 13 KOs), 29, of England, although he is scheduled to defend against former titleholder and Golden Boy fighter Jorge Linares (40-3, 27 KOs), 30, of Venezuela, on Sept. 24 in Manchester, England.
"Michael Perez has been a very exciting fighter to watch rise through the ranks in the lightweight division, one of the hottest weight classes in boxing right now," Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya said. "We also know Petrov as an experienced and destructive fighter who won't go down without an all-out brawl."
Petrov-Perez will replace the original headline fight, which was to involve featherweight Andrew Cancio. Golden Boy pulled him off the card this week for the opportunity to face 2012 U.S. Olympian and blue chip prospect Joseph Diaz on the Canelo Alvarez-Liam Smith HBO PPV undercard on Sept. 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The fight will be by the far the biggest so far for Perez (24-1-2, 11 KOs), 26, of Newark, New Jersey, who is unbeaten in 10 consecutive fights (9-0-1) since a sixth-round knockout loss in 2012 to Omar Figueroa Jr., who went on to win a lightweight world title.
"This is another step up in my career to becoming a world champion," Perez said. "I am very excited for this fight and I feel very motivated. I have been waiting for a fight like this, to be challenged at such a high caliber keeps me focused and motivated. Petr is a tough guy and that has been what has carried him to where he is today, but I am smart fighter and will be prepared to box when I want to and brawl when I want to.
"The skills I have and the plan we have to execute are what will determine the victory for this fight. Both Petr and I know what's at stake here: the winner of our fight will be the mandatory for the winner of the world championship unification fight between Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla. I am ready for the challenge."
The 33-year-old Petrov (37-4-2, 17 KOs), a native of Russia who fights out of Spain, received a junior welterweight world title shot in 2011 but was knocked out in the fourth round by Marcos Maidana, who retired last week.
But since dropping a unanimous 12-round decision in 2013 to Dejan Zlaticanin, who won a vacant lightweight world title on June 11, Petrov has won five fights in a row. Three of those wins came en route to Petrov's winning the 2014 ESPN Boxcino lightweight tournament.
"Michael Perez is an experienced fighter," Petrov said. "He is one of my tougher challenges, but I feel that my experience in being in bigger fights has me prepared.
"This is for the mandatory challenger in the WBA lightweight world championship and I know this will be a good fight. At the end of the day, it will be about who is prepared the best and may the best man win."
Said Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions, Petrov's promoter: "This is a big opportunity for Petr, which is well deserved. He knows, with a win, he will become the mandatory challenger and we know that he is a championship-level fighter and we expect a great performance on Sept. 30."