Light welterweight contender Ernesto Mercado faces late replacement Roger Hilley tonight in a ten-round catchweight clash at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. The bout was salvaged after original opponent Emmanuel Tagoe missed the contracted weight by ten pounds.
Pure chaos rocked the DAZN co-main event at Friday’s weigh-in in Atlanta. Original opponent Emmanuel Tagoe turned up ten pounds heavy, coming in at 150 pounds for a fight contracted at 140 pounds. The Ghanaian former world title challenger blew the weight limit completely, forcing organizers to scrap the matchup.
Salita Promotions scrambled quickly on Friday afternoon to salvage the feature fight. They brought in 32-year-old Roger Hilley on barely twenty-four hours’ notice to step into the ring with Ernesto “Tito” Mercado. To make the fight work on short notice, both sides agreed to a 146-pound catchweight. That decision keeps Mercado on the card while saving Hilley from a dangerous overnight weight drop.
It is a sudden opportunity for Hilley, who holds a 14-1 professional record. Ring time has been hard to come by for Hilley recently, having fought just twice since May 2023. His toughest test came in May 2024 against lightweight prospect Joshua Pagan. Hilley went the distance over eight rounds but lost every single frame on all three judges’ scorecards in a 78-74 decision.
Hilley did bounce back in September 2025 by blowing out Jerome Rodriguez in 54 seconds. But Mercado represents a completely different universe of threat.
Hilley spent most of his career down at lightweight. Mercado is a natural light welterweight and a big puncher who has been campaigning in the heavier division. Mercado spent his entire training camp preparing for Tagoe’s veteran ring craft. Now he must adjust on the fly to an aggressive substitute who has everything to gain.
The pressure rests heavily on Mercado tonight. Facing a late replacement with practically zero preparation, anything short of a dominant, decisive victory will be a major disappointment. Tito must deliver a statement performance in Atlanta.
