Abner Mares hasn’t signed with promoter Richard Schaefer but he pledged his allegiance to him as a friend and vowed to work with him more than any other promoter that is associated with advisor Al Haymon.

“We all know Al Haymon works with many promoters and it really depends on the venue and the type of fight it is,” Mares told RingTV.com last week. “But I definitely see myself fighting more with Richard, no doubt, than with any other promoter. I’m just excited to be back with Richard in his first fight.”

Mares (29-2-1, 15 knockouts) is set to headline a main event on Showtime against secondary featherweight titleholder Jesus Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs) on Dec. 10 at USC’s Galen Center. It’s Mares first fight since he was denied a license by the New York State Athletic Commission in June because of concerns with his vision. It’s also the first fight that Schaefer, a former CEO of Golden Boy, has promoted since he resigned from there in 2014 after a bad falling out with Oscar De La Hoya.

Mares, a former three-division titleholder, cited their longstanding relationship at Golden Boy — Schaefer helped develop him into a world champion — and the irony that both are returning on the same card. “Richard is a really good friend of mine outside of the sport,” Mares said. “He’s always been there for me ever since he was at Golden Boy. Win or lose, he would go to my dressing room to check on me. He’s a really good friend and it’s exciting to be back with a friend and someone who’s starting a new chapter. I’m excited for both of us to be back at the same time.”

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