Melligen to face replacement Hernandez on July 1

Filipino welterweight prospect Mark Jason Melligen will use a new fight plan when he faces Mexican 147-pound division title challenger Freddy Hernandez of Mexico on July 1 at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas. The 25-year-old Melligen (21-2, 14 knockouts) was scheduled to face durable fringe contender Roberto Garcia of Mexico (30-3, 21 KOs), but the Reynosa, Tamaulipas-born boxer withdrew unexpectedly, leaving fight promoter Top Rank scrambling to find a replacement opponent for the Bacolod City native. The 10-round welterweight bout will headline ESPN2's Friday Night Fights program, the first time Melligen will be appearing on American network television. The 32-year-old Hernandez (29-2, 20 KOs), Melligen's new opponent from Mexico City, Mexico, holds wins over faded former champions Mike Anchondo and DeMarcus Corley. Hernandez challenged then-World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight titlist Andre Berto in November last year, but was floored in the first round by a single right cross. "It will be a good test for Mark," said assistant trainer Edward Martin, son of Melligen's head trainer Tony Martin. "He is a tough guy to beat, so we're not taking him lightly. Berto just got a lucky punch, really. Mark has to win brilliantly, or should I say he has to put on a really good show since it's on ESPN." Melligen, a southpaw, last fought in February where he won by unanimous decision over Gabriel Martinez (27-2-1, 14 KOs) in Las Vegas. Melligen has won five straight matches since suffering from a split decision loss to Michel Rosales in 2009. Melligen is currently in Cebu, Philippines training with conditioning coach Pio Solon and co-trainer Edito "Ala" Villamor at the ALA Boxing Gym. He will end his training in Las Vegas with the Martins on June 12, where he will spar with rising junior welterweight prospect Jessie Vargas (15-0, 8 KOs)), among others. Solon said that he and Melligen have been "doing some stuff to get him more explosive," recognizing the need for the Los Angeles-based boxer to impress on the big stage in America. "Personally, I want to see him become more aggressive because I know he's fast enough and good enough to pull that off. But that depends on what he really wants to do when he fights," said Solon, who is working with Melligen for the third consecutive fight. "If he becomes aggressive, he can become a premier fighter, a fighter people would want to watch." – JVP, GMA News Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and contributes to GMA News and the Filipino Reporter newspaper in New York City. He can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com. An archive of his work can be found at www.ryansongalia.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ryansongalia.