Last time we saw “Lightning” Rod Salka (24-4, 4 KOs), he was getting laid out by a much larger Danny Garcia in a heavily criticized 2014 Showtime fight. Since then Salka has won five straight and tonight he steps up again against exciting former world champion Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas on ESPN2 from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

Online sportsbooks have the WBC #2 rated Vargas favored by as much as 50:1, but Salka sees this fight as his chance to beat a name fighter his own size. “I’m excited to be at 130 pounds,” said Salka in the lead up to the fight. “Francisco Vargas stands in the way of me fighting [Miguel] Berchelt, so he has to be eliminated.”

Tall order, but tonight we’ll see if he can do it.