A deal has been finalized for once-beaten Mexican junior lightweight contender Juan Carlos Burgos, of Mexico, to face Ghanian Yakubu Amidu on July 26 at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Sacramento on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, his promoter, Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions, informed RingTV.com on Friday.

A 25-year-old with a record of 30-1-1 that includes 20 knockouts, Burgos was last in the ring for January’s disputed split-draw with WBO beltholder Roman “Rocky” Martinez, who is in line for a November defense against RING featherweight champion Mikey Garcia.

The hard-hitting Amidu (20-4-1, 18 KOs), who is 28, has lost his past two bouts by decisions to Ji-Hoon Kim and unbeaten Haskel Rhodes.

Amidu has been stopped once, by current WBO lightweight titleholder Ricky Burns, in the seventh round in November of 2008. Amidu’s other loss was by majority decision to Ali Funeka in April of 2007.

Amidu is a replacement for Colombian Daulis Prescott (26-2, 19 KOs), who cited kidney stones as his reason for pulling out of the bout.

If successful against Amidu, Pelullo has designs on matching Burgos against the winner of Garcia-Martinez.

Photo: Naoki Fukuda

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]