Errol Spence Jr.'s next world title defense will see him fight in front of his hometown fans.
Showtime announced in a press release sent to Fightful that Spence Jr. will defend his IBF welterweight title against mandatory challenger Carlos Ocampo on June 16 at the Ford Center at The Star in Texas. The fight will headline a Showtime Championship Boxing card in what is Spence's second world title defense.
"I believe that I'm the number one fighter in the welterweight division and I'll step into the ring on June 16 with that feeling. I'm going to draw from the energy of my fans... I know how [Ocampo] feels going into someone else's hometown for his first shot at the title," Spence Jr. said in the press release.
Spence Jr. won the IBF title when he traveled to the United Kingdom and defeated Kell Brook last year. He did not fight for the remainder of 2017, but did make his first title defense last January at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York when he defeated former champion Lamont Peterson, stopping him inside seven rounds.
Ocampo, an undefeated Mexican boxer at 22-0 and the No. 3 ranked welterweight in the IBF's official rankings, will be fighting for his first world title. Ocampo is coming off a seventh-round TKO win over Dario Ferman last November and will be making his United States debut in the pro ranks. The 22-year-old Ocampo also owns victories over former world title challengers Jorge Paez Jr. and Charlie Navarro.
