By Dan Ambrose: Lamont Peterson (28-1-1, 14 KO’s) and Victor Cayo (26-1, 18 KO’s) will be squaring off in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) light welterweight title eliminator bout on July 23 on the undercard of the unification title fight between WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan and IBF belt holder Zab Judah at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The winner of Cayo-Peterson will become the mandatory challenger for the Khan vs. Judah winner. However, the chances of either Cayo or Peterson facing the Khan-Judah winner next is fairly remote at best. If Khan wins against Judah, Khan will most definitely be facing WBC/WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley next. If not him, look for Khan to take on another bigger name. They’ll likely have the Peterson-Cayo winner wait around by paying them a step aside fee if needed.

Peterson should beat Cayo if he can fight like he did when he was given a 10 round draw with Victor Ortiz last December. I personally had Ortiz winning that fight, but Peterson still fought well enough to lose by only two rounds on my card. I don’t think Cayo is in the same league as Peterson, although Cayo surprised me with his punching ability when he fought Marcos Maidana in March 2010, losing by a 6th round TKO but showing some good slugging skills in that fight. If Cayo can turn it on early, he may get Peterson down and keep him there. Peterson was dropped twice by Ortiz early, and had Ortiz kept the pressure on he likely would have knocked Peterson out. Peterson was also staggered multiple times in a one-sided 12 round decision loss to Timothy Bradley in 2009.