Emiliano Vargas is ready to kick off his 2026.

The red-hot 140-pound prospect is returning Feb. 28 against Ezequiel Quintana in Glendale, Arizona, at Desert Diamond Arena. In the main event The Ring’s No. 2 130-pounder, Emanuel Navarrete, and No. 4 Eduardo Nunez will attempt to unify the division on DAZN.

While they’ll be putting their WBO and IBF straps on the line, Vargas (16-0, 13 KOs) will do his best to steal the show.

The 21-year-old has looked terrific. In four 2025 appearances, he dazzled. Vargas went 4-0 with three of those victories coming via quick stoppage. Quintana, however, figures to be more durable.

The veteran journeyman has been stopped just once in 25 fights. Quintana (22-2-1, 13 KOs) is on a roll, having his hand raised in victory four times in a row. He kept that streak alive in 2025 with a lopsided points win over Walter Cordoba, and grabbed the biggest victory of his career the year prior.

Most expected Quintana to get steamrolled against Marc Castro in 2024. Nevertheless, Quintana fought fire with fire and beat the former highly touted prospect at his own game by split division win.

Joining Vargas on the undercard also will be Tahmir Smalls, who takes on Abel Ramos, a veteran contender and three-time title challenger.