By Dan Ambrose: Former WBA World lightweight champion Brandon Rios (29-0-1, 22 KO’s) faces Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa (21-0, 16 KO’s) for the vacant WBA World lightweight title on April 14th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gamboa, 30, will be stepping up two divisions to take this fight against Rios and could be out-weighed by a significant about by the time he enters the ring on that night, because of Rios’ tendency to bloat up by putting on a lot of water weight after rehydrating after weighing in the day before the fight. However, Gamboa is a fighter with a lot of power and speed, and he doesn’t just stand there like most of Rio’s opposition has. Rios has noticed that and sees Gamboa as being similar in style to former World Boxing Association lightweight champion Miguel Acosta (29-5-2, 23 KO’s), who Rios defeated by a 10th round TKO last February to capture his WBA title.

Rios told RingTV “I’ve fought a guy with speed and I’m ready for this guy…I fought Anthony Peterson, who was quick, but he stood there. But I’m talking more about Miguel Acosta. Yeah, that’s the same type of style that I think Gamboa will bring to the table.”

Gamboa is a little like Acosta but shorter at 5’5 1/2″ compared to the 5’7″ Acosta, stronger and quicker. Acosta doesn’t have Gamboa’s hand speed and fought the wrong kind of fight by standing in front of Rios too much in the right instead of hitting and getting away. Gamboa will try to box him because he’s moving up two divisions and won’t be able to overpower Rios like he’s done with guys at featherweight. Gamboa’s fight with the skillful but tough Orlando Salido gave Gamboa a pretty good idea how to fight someone like Rios. Gamboa tried to blast Salido out, but when he found out that the guy was too strong, he chose to box him the remainder of the fight and won a comfortable 12 round decision.