Diego De La Hoya’s next career step: Fight former title contender

Diego De La Hoya’s career progression resumes in his 2016 debut Friday against a former world-title contender at Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

The 21-year-old De La Hoya (13-0, seven knockouts) will meet Tijuana’s Arturo Badillo in the featherweight main event of the Belasco card, which will be televised by Estrella TV at 7 p.m. Pacific time.

Badillo (21-9, 19 KOs) fought for the World Boxing Assn. super-flyweight belt in 2011, losing to countryman Hugo Fidel Cazares by knockout.

Starting with the Cazares loss, Badillo has been defeated in eight of nine bouts (with five consecutive losses), and seven of those losses have been by stoppage.

That sets up well for Mexicali’s De La Hoya, the cousin of his promoter and former 10-time world champion, Oscar De La Hoya. Diego De La Hoya has worked to improve his power punching, and Oscar De La Hoya said the fighter’s television ratings are steadily increasing.

De La Hoya weighed in at the 126-pound limit Thursday, and Badillo was at 124.6 pounds.

The card also includes a super-featherweight bout between Highland Park’s Carlos Morales (12-1-3, six KOs) versus Mexico’s Omar Tienda (14-2, eight KOs) and Los Angeles’ Nick Arce (6-0) against Luis Lizarraga Jr. (5-7-1, two KOs).

Doors open at 5 p.m., with ticket prices beginning at $20.