ESPN2 FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS

New York, July 8 - In just 16 professional fights, middleweight Jermain Taylor has made quite an impression on the boxing world, especially on his opponents. On August 8, at The Alltel Arena, Taylor, a 2000 Olympic Bronze Medallist, returns home to Little Rock to fight for his first title in the pro ranks when he challenges Rene Arostegui for the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Middleweight Championship.

This 12 round championship bout, part of an exciting night of boxing presented by DiBella Entertainment, Inc., will be televised live on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights beginning at 8pm. Doors open at 5:30pm and the first bout begins at 7pm.

Also on the "Title Night in Little Rock" card is exciting junior middleweight contender Kofi Jantuah (23-1, 13 KOs), who will face Robert Kamya (12-2, 4 KOs) in a ten rounder. Four other bouts will be announced shortly.

Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs), is widely regarded as the brightest prospect from the Class of 2000. A boxer-puncher who has improved by leaps and bounds with each fight, "Bad Intentions" has soared up the ranks in a little over two years as a pro, and on August 8, he looks to cap the first phase of his career with his first professional title. In his last outing on May 17, 2003, Taylor impressively stopped tough veteran Nicolas Cervera (33-4-1, 30 KO's) in just four rounds in a bout televised by HBO.

Arostegui, a 25-year-old native of San Felipe, Mexico, has compiled an impressive 23-2 (20 KOs) record in his seven-year pro career. A former WBC Continental Americas Champion, the hard-hitting Arostegui is coming off a second round stoppage of Joel Gonzalez on May 30.

Tickets for "Title Night in Little Rock", priced at $152.00 (VIP seating - limited availability), $92.00, $62.00, $37.00, $27.00 & $17.00 (students and seniors only), are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com and the Alltel Arena Box Office at

501-975-9000. You may also call Ticketmaster at 501-975-7575