WBA super featherweight champion Alberto “Explosivo” Machado (19-0, 16 KOs) will put his WBA super featherweight world title on the line against undefeated #1 contender Rafael “Sweet Pea” Mensah (31-0, 23 KOs) on July 21 at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. The fight will be televised live on HBO.

“It’s been about 10 months since my last fight. But it served me well,” said Machado. “It allowed me to get some rest and to work on some technical details I needed to work on. I had been boxing for 15 years straight, so it was a necessary rest…for this camp, I worked on strategy and technique. I had more time to travel to Los Angeles and work with Freddie Roach. During this camp, I really got to see why he is a Hall of Fame trainer. I got to see why he’s had so many world champions. On July 21, you will definitely see a new and improved Alberto Machado.”