Russian fighter Ruslan Provodnikov and Mike Alvarado are expected to shoot an edition of HBO’s Face Off With Max Kellerman on Thursday in Los Angeles in advance of their junior welterweight bout on Oct. 19 for Alvarado’s 140-pound WBO belt, according to Provodnikov’s manager, Vadim Kornilov.

Provodnikov (22-2, 15 knockouts) will fight Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colo., a suburb of Denver, near Alvardo’s hometown of Thornton.

Kornilov said Provodnikov arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and was in attendance later that night with Alvarado at HBO’s “Dinner of Champions” at The Bridge Restaurant in Hollywood.

Provodnikov also met with trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club, where he could prepare for Alvarado alongside three-division titlewinner Miguel Cotto, who will be prepping for his junior middleweight clash with Delvin Rodriguez on Oct. 5.

“They’re shooting tomorrow, so Ruslan’s going to do the Face Off with Max Kellerman and with Mike Alvarado. Then Ruslan will begin training on Monday,” said Kornilov.

Promoted by Artie Pelullo, of Banner Promotions, Provodnikov posed for a photo with Alvarado at the HBO dinner, a time during which he said they looked into each other’s eyes.

“We actually met Mike Alvarado yesterday and today…and we also saw each other at the P.R. shoot as well at a studio right next to the Wild Card Gym. We looked each other in the eyes yesterday and today. I didn’t notice anything. He’s a fearless fighter, just like I am,” said Provodnikov, whose interview was translated by Kornilov.

“So I’m very calm about the face off. I’m sure that he’s ready to leave everything in the ring on Oct. 19, just like I am. I don’t have any problems with him. I just want to make sure that we’re both there on Oct. 19. I just want to make sure that he’s there, because I’ll be there, and I just want to make sure that we give the fans what they want.”

Alvarado is coming off a unanimous-decision loss in March to Tim Bradley, while Alvarado was last in the ring for a unanimous-decision win over Brandon Rios to avenge his seventh-round stoppage loss in a Fight of The Year-caliber bout in October of last year.

Kornilov said that he is interested in Alvarado and Provodnikov being tested by The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), which was paid for by Top Rank for Bradley-Provodnikov.

Photo courtesy of Vadim Kornilov

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]