Juan Manuel Marquez, Mike Alvarado to meet in welterweight eliminator

Juan Manuel Marquez has agreed a deal to face Mike Alvarado in a welterweight eliminator on May 17.

Both fighters are coming off the back of losses to Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov respectively, but the winner of their bout in two months' time is expected to compete for a world title later in 2014.

Bradley will defend his WBO title against Manny Pacquaio in Las Vegas on April 12, and the winner of that clash is likely to meet either Marquez and Alvarado.

That scenario throws up the possibility of Marquez facing Pacquaio for a fifth time, while Bradley and Marquez could meet for a second time in a year after Bradley won on points last October.