Valdez Returns to Nogales for 10-Round Bout Against Medina

Oscar Valdez returns to his hometown ring on Saturday, Sept. 6, when the former two-weight world champion faces San Antonio's Ricky Medina in a 10-round junior lightweight main event at the Domo Binacional in Nogales, Sonora. The card will be televised live in the United States on ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. Eastern Time, with select undercard bouts also airing, promoters said.

Valdez, 34, who built a reputation as one of Mexico's most entertaining fighters, enters the bout with a 32-3 record and 24 knockouts. He has not fought in Mexico since December 2013 and is seeking to re-establish himself after a sixth-round knockout loss in a rematch with Emanuel Navarrete last December. Medina, 24, holds a 16-3 record with nine knockouts and is billed as a younger, durable challenger who has not been stopped as a professional.

At a press conference streamed by ESPN Deportes, Medina called the opportunity an honor and said he is looking forward to putting on a show for Nogales and fans in his native San Antonio. Valdez acknowledged the ups and downs of his career and framed Saturday's fight as part of a comeback. "There will always be ups and downs," he said. "The main goal for me right now...