LOS ANGELES, August 4 - There is more than enough pressure on any young fighter when he or she steps into the ring. But when your name is Laila Ali, that pressure gets increased a thousand percent.

15 wins, 12 knockouts and three world titles later, the 25-year-old Ali seems to be doing just fine under the harsh glare of the media spotlight. On August 23, Ali continues on her path to greatness when she defends her IBA super middleweight championship against one of the sport's greatest fighters, pound for pound, Christy Martin.

This bout, scheduled for ten rounds, will be televised live from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi by CSI Sports on US pay-per-view (cable and satellite), beginning at 9pm ET / 6pm PT. An exciting undercard will be announced shortly, and the suggested retail price for the show is $29.95.

This spectacular and historic event will be promoted by Absoloot Boxing. The title sponsor of the event will be Corona Extra, as part of Corona's World Class Championship Boxing series which has been broadcast in the U.S. and worldwide since 1997.

Truly deserving of the title of champion, Laila Ali has earned her stripes with not only her stellar in the ring performances, but her spartan work ethic, which includes sparring sessions with some of the best fighters in the world. She turned pro in 1999, and made it publicly known that she didn't want any favors because she was the daughter of the legendary Muhammad Ali. This attitude earned her the respect of the boxing community, and once she had a few bouts under her belt, she started to battle (and beat) the best in her division.

In June of 2001, Ali thrilled a worldwide pay-per-view audience with a stirring unanimous decision win over rival Jacquie Frazier-Lyde in one of the most heavily anticipated women's fights of this era. And though some skeptics felt that Ali would step aside into the glamorous life of Hollywood after this victory, she proved the doubters wrong by going back into the gym and coming back stronger than ever.

"There are two different types of fighters," said Ali. "There are the fighters that like to fight, love boxing, respect the game, and want to take their skills to the next level. They want to prove to themselves that they're the best by fighting the best. And there are those fighters that are just doing it to make money. You don't have to be famous. A lot of people only make $500 a fight, but they're still fighting to make money, and it's just a job. They're going to do just what they have to do, and they'll take the easy fights. I'm not one of those people, and I don't see it as that big of a deal. I think if you're going to be an athlete and be serious about what you're doing, then you've got to fight the best people out there."

So she did, in the process picking up three world titles by defeating such standouts as Valerie Mahfood and Suzette Taylor. And as the game's newest superstar, she is enjoying her time at the top and doesn't plan on relinquishing her crown to Christy Martin on August 23.

"I'm not concerned about losing because that's just not gonna happen," said Ali. "I'm a more skilled fighter than she is and I have more in my arsenal."

Spoken like a true daughter of Muhammad Ali.

The venue for the event, the beautiful Mississippi Coast Coliseum and tickets for the event are being made available by the event site promoter Prize Fight Boxing.