IBF junior lightweight champion Argenis Mendez will meet unbeaten mandatory challenger Rances Barthelemy on Friday. It's boxing's first title bout of 2014.
Mendez (21-2-1, 11 knockouts) won the title in March by pounding Juan Carlos Salgado in four rounds. He followed that with a draw against Arash Usmanee. At 27, Mendez not faces a former Cuban amateur standout.
“Barthelemy is a good boxer with great amateur experience,” Mendez told RingTV.com. "He's fought his way to the top and that’s why he currently is number one. Obviously, he did something to get there."
A native of the Dominican Republic, Mendez meets Barthelemy at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Here's the schedule up upcoming major fights.
Jan. 3
At Target Center, Minneapolis (ESPN2), Argenis Mendez vs. Rances Barthelemy, 12, for Mendez's IBF super featherweight title; Caleb Truax vs. Ossie Duran, 10, middleweights.
Jan. 10
At the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington (ESPN2), Arash Usmanee vs. Juan Antonio Rodriguez, 10, super featherweights.
Jan. 11
At Perwez, Belgium, Alexander Miskirtchian vs. Sofiane Takoucht, 12, IBF featherweight eliminator.
Jan. 17
At the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn. (SHO), Ivan Redkach vs. Tony Luis, 10, lightweights.
Jan. 18
At Bell Centre, Montreal (HBO), Jean Pascal vs. Lucian Bute, 12, light heavyweights.
Jan. 24
At Indio, Calif. (FS1), Cornelius Bundrage vs. Joey Hernandez, 12, IBF junior middleweight eliminator.
Jan. 25
At DC Armory, Washington (SHO), Lamont Peterson vs. Dierry Jean, 12, for Peterson's IBF junior welterweight title.
Jan. 30
At Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. (FS1), Victor Ortiz vs. Luis Collazo, 10, welterweights.
Jan. 31
At Richard J. Codey Arena, West Orange, N.J. (ESPN2), Jorge Diaz vs. Luis Rosa, 10, super bantamweights.
Feb. 1
At Monte Carlo, Gennady Golovkin vs. Osumanu Adama, 12, for Golovkin's WBA World middleweight title; Ilunga Makabu vs. Pawel Kolodziej, 12, for the interim WBA World cruiserweight title; Nkosinathi Joyi vs. Rey Loreto, 12, for the vacant IBO light flyweight title.
Feb. 15
At Staples Center, Los Angeles, Jhonny Gonzalez vs. Abner Mares, 12 for Gonzalez's WBC featherweight title.
March 1
At Glasgow, Scotland, Ricky Burns vs. Terence Crawford, 12, for Burns' WBO lightweight title.