RP WELTERWEIGHT champion Mark Jason Melligen of Barangay Pahanocoy, Bacolod City is slated to face his biggest test so far in his young pro boxing career when he takes on 26-year-old, 5’11” Mexican Michael Rosales at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 15.

Cebu-based Negrense international boxing promoter Antonio ‘Bidoy’ Aldeguer conceded that the former Negros Amateur Boxing Association (Naba) standout was moving up a notch in taking on Rosales (23-3, 21 KOs), who stands four inches taller than the 5’7” Negrense (15-1, 11 Kos).

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The fight is an undercard of the World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight interim title fight between International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Nonito Donaire and Panama’s Rafael Concepcion, who had a 10-round victory over world-rated AJ ‘Bazooka’ Banal in a WBA interim title fight.

Aldeguer admitted that it will be a tough fight against the Mexican since “Rosales is elongated and his KO record clearly demonstrates his punching power, while his three defeats were at the hands of top-class, undefeated opponents.”

Rosales lost via a seventh round TKO to Mike Alvarado (20-0 13 Kos) on May 9, 2008 in what was described as the latter’s toughest fight so far.

Melligen, a 2005 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist, is currently in town on vacation and is scheduled to fly back to the US next week.