Tapales faces Mexican prospect

Former world champion Marlon Tapales is fighting his second bout in the US on Sunday, Feb. 17 (PHL time).

Tapales, a one-time World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion, faces Mexican veteran Fernando Vargas Parra at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Tapales is 31-2 with 14 knockouts, while Parra is 34-14-3 with 23 knockouts.

The 26-year-old Tapales has been fighting sparingly in the last three years, with only a fight each in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He won the vacant WBO bantamweight belt in 2016 with a knockout win over Pungluang Sor Singyu.

However, he lost his crown after tipping the scales overweight in a title defense against Shohei Omori. He stopped Omori in 11 rounds though.

After another long hiatus, Tapales returned to action last year and knocked out Goodluck Mrema in a single round.

Parra shouled be a good gauge on what level Tapales is right now in his career.

The 30-year-old Tijuana native has won back-toback against patsies Alfredo Pitta and Jesus Cantu. Parra once fought for a world title back in 2016 and lost by a ninth round stoppage against then World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight king Jamie McDonnell. His biggest win is a convincing unanimous decision over former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. /