By Miguel Maravilla

Former four-division world champion Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs ) of Caguas, Puerto Rico and Japan’s Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai (27-3-2, 24 KOs) held a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Conga Room at LA Live in Downtown Los Angeles to officially announce their showdown. Cotto-Kamegai will take place Saturday August 26 at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California for the vacant WBO world junior middleweight title, live on HBO World Championship Boxing.

Miguel Cotto: “I’m happy to be back. I am going to do the best I can. I know Kamegai is tough and coming with victory on his mind. I will fight with heart as always.”

Yoshihiro Kamegai: “For me to fight someone I have been a fan of since I was 20 years old, is an honor. I am going out there to win this.”

Oscar De La Hoya: “August 26 Miguel Cotto makes his long awaited return. This fight has all the makings for an action-packed classic fight.”

Cotto Promotions VP Hector Soto: “This August, Miguel Cotto will return to Puerto Rico as a champion once again.”

Cotto returns to the ring for the first time since his decision loss to Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez back in November of 2015. This fight will also mark Cotto’s second fight in L.A. as he fought here back in 2001 in his sixth pro fight. Kamegai is coming off an eighth round stoppage over Jesus Soto Karass this past September in a rematch of their previous 2016 fight of the year candidate.

“We begin camp in July and Freddie (Roach) will prepare me to do what I have to do, to come out on top,” Miguel Cotto told Fightnews.com®.

“When I first heard that this fight had been made and that I would face Cotto, I thought to myself, ‘YES!” Kamegai stated.

“Kamegai has been involved in memorable battles including vs. former champ Robert Guerrero at the Stub Hub Center and his fight of the year candidate and rematch vs Soto Karass. This is a fighter who never backs down, a fighter that fights with heart,” Oscar De La Hoya said. “Miguel Cotto he is a fighter that puts everything in the ring. We expect Cotto to make his return with vengeance to win the WBO junior middleweight title,”