Pavlik to Return, Face Espino on Dec. 19

WBO and WBC middleweight champion Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik will fight Miguel Espino on Dec. 19 at in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, his promoter, Top Rank president Bob Arum, confirmed on Monday. Pavlik has apparently healed from a staph infection that twice prompted him to cancel scheduled title bouts against three-time champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams.

Arum said that Pavlik will face Espino as the main event of a Top Rank pay-per-view card entitled, "Latin Fury."

"He wanted to fight before the end of the year, and we had a Latin Fury card on in Mexico," said Arum. "So we decided that we would use the two best fights on that card, and put them with Pavlik against Espino from Youngstown."

The story, first reported by ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, indicates that the injury, located on the knuckle of Pavlik's left forefinger, has responded favorably to recent therapy.

Rafael quotes Top Rank Vice President Todd duBoef as saying that Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) will defend his 160-pound title against Espino (20-2-1, nine KOs) of North Hollywood, Calif.

"I think it's imperative for his career. Activity is important. You never like to see a young guy not fighting regularly when he's in his prime. This year has been a curse of little things that happened," duBoef told ESPN.com, referring to an injury that had been problematic despite two surgeries.

As a result, Pavlik said that he could not make a tightly closed fist. Pavlik will be ending a nearly 10-month layoff.

"It's good for everybody, especially for him, to get a good fight under his belt on Dec. 19," said duBoef. "Hopefully, if he's successful in defending his title he can go into 2010 with a clean slate."

In the co-feature, which will be held in Cancun, Mexico, WBC junior lightweight (130 pounds) champion Humberto Soto (49-7-2, 32 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, will rise into to the lightweight (135) division to meet former IBF titlist, Jesus Chavez (44-6, 30 KOs).

Before Pavlik enters the ring, the card will also showcase Armenian-born, 23-year-old junior middleweight (154 pounds) Vanes Martirosyan (25-0, 16 knockouts), who will be fighting an opponent to be determined for the NABF title, Arum said.

Pavlik, who has twice beaten former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, is returning to Youngstown for the first time since February, when he knocked out Marco Antonio Rubio in the ninth round.

Espino has won 11 consecutive fights, including six by knockout, and stopped his past four opponents since losing a five-round, unanimous decision to Peter Monfredo in August of 2004.

"We'll open up with Humberto Soto fighting in another fight in Mexico," said Arum. "And then, the action will go to Youngstown, where we'll do the Vanes Mrtirosyan fight, and the Kelly Pavlik-Espino fight."