Emiliano Vargas is ready to again step under the bright lights of the Big Apple.
Vargas will face Bryce Mills on June 27, Top Rank and Matchroom Boxing announced on April 28. The 10-round junior welterweight bout will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The clash will precede the main event between WBO and WBA junior middleweight titleholder Xander Zayas and Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
Both fights will stream live on DAZN PPV.
Vargas (17-0, 14 knockouts) has ascended up the 140-pound division and is on the cusp of becoming a legitimate contender in a very competitive and talent-rich weight class.
The 22-year-old, who was born in Oxnard and currently lives and trains in Las Vegas, is coming off a knockout win over Agustin Quintana of Argentina on Feb. 28 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Vargas, the youngest of three siblings, has stopped seven of his last eight opponents. He is trained by Fernando Vargas, a two-time world junior middleweight titleholder and 1996 Channel Islands High School graduate.
After making his pro debut in May 2022, Vargas signed a promotional deal with Top Rank, which has the best reputation of guiding unbeaten fighters and prospects to a world title shot.
Mills (22-1, 9 KOs), who resides in Liverpool, New York, fought on April 25, stopping Julio Rosa after the third round at the Blue Cross Arena in nearby Rochester.
The 24-year-old has not lost since a split-decision defeat to Ryan Pino in his seventh fight as a pro in October 2021.
Duarte returns Saturday
Junior welterweight contender Oscar Duarte will face Angel Fierro on Saturday, May 2, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 10-round bout will precede the main event clash between unified cruiserweight titleholder Gilberto Ramirez of Mexico and WBC light heavyweight titleholder David Benavidez.
Both fights will stream live on Prime Video PPV or DAZN PPV.
Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KOs), who resides in Parral, Mexico, was scheduled to face IBF titleholder Richardson Hitchins on Feb. 21, but the fight fell through hours before due to Hitchins pulling out of the fight, reportedly because he fell ill after the weigh-in.
The 30-year-old last fought on Aug. 2, 2025, defeating Kenneth Sims Jr. by majority decision in Chicago in an IBF world title elimination bout.
Fierro (23-4-2, 18 KOs), who resides in Tijuana, made headlines in his last fight on Oct. 14, 2026, when he was disqualified for kicking opponent Abraham Cordero. The 27-year-old has three of his four last four fights.
Francisco A. Salazar covers boxing for The Star. He has also written for Ring Magazine, Boxingscene and Fightnews. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at FSalazarBoxing.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Unbeaten Emiliano Vargas to fight in Brooklyn on June 27
Reporting by Francisco A. Salazar, Special to Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
