Marquez's tune up is set for July 16th against Likar Ramos

Lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez has a lot riding on his next fight. With his much-desired third showdown with pound-for-pound king and welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao on the books for Nov. 12 in Las Vegas and on pay-per-view, Marquez is taking a must-win tuneup fight ahead of the bout.

Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs) has not fought since November, when he knocked out Michael Katsidis in the ninth round to retain the title, and he did not want to go without fighting for a year before facing Pacquiao.

So Marquez will fight in his native Mexico on July 16 against Likar Ramos (24-3, 18 KOs) of Colombia after negotiations with former lightweight titlist (and Pacquiao victim) David Diaz fell apart over money. Ramos briefly held an interim junior lightweight belt before losing it via seventh-round knockout to Jorge Solis in February 2010.

If Marquez loses or suffers an injury that would keep him out of action for an extended period, he can kiss the Pacquiao fight goodbye, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said.

Arum will be keeping a close eye on the fight even though he is only peripherally involved in Marquez-Ramos. Top Rank will handle the international television sales. Arum's longtime Mexican promotional partner, Fernando Beltran, will work on the show with Marquez's promotional company.

"We're going to sell the international television and it will definitely be on in America," Arum said. "It's valuable as a promotional tool for the fight with Manny. So it will definitely will be on, but where, I'm not sure."

If Arum doesn't sell it to a network, he can put it on his "Top Rank Live" series, which airs regularly on Fox Deports and Fox Sports Net.

Sean Gibbons, Beltran's matchmaker, said the weight for the fight would be "no lighter than 140." Pacquiao-Marquez III is contracted at a maximum of 144 pounds.