By Jim Dower: Light welterweight contender Lucas Martin Matthysse (27-1, 25 KO’s) will be returning to the ring next month against former light welterweight champion DeMarcus Corley (37-15-1, 22 KO’s) in a 10 round stay busy fight at the Auditorio Angel Bustelo, Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina. Matthysse, 28, lost a questionable 12 round split decision to the better known Zab Judah in November in a fight that took place in New Jersey, not far from where Judah lives. Matthysse knocked Judah to the canvas in the 10th, and had him on the run in the last three rounds while pelting him with powerful punches to the head and body.

The fight had two different looks to it. In the first part of the fight, Judah looked like the better fight, but after the 5th, Matthysse completely took control over the fight and had Judah looking hurt and tired from the pressure and the power on Matthysse’s shots. I scored the fight 8 rounds to 4 for Matthysse.

Corley, 36, should be a good gauge to compare Matthysse to another Argentinian fighter Marcos Maidana, who struggled to defeat Corley by a 12 round decision in August. Corley’s southpaw stance and power gave Maidana problems in the fight. However, Maidana did hurt Corley, knocking him down with a right hand in the 7th. But Maidana, who looked uncharacteristically out of shape for the fight, ran out of gas quickly after that and had to be content with only dominating Corley in the remaining rounds of the fight.

Matthysse is currently ranked at #4 WBO and #8 IBF in the light welterweight division and is one of the more exciting fighters in the division.