Over at The Sweet Science, David Avila has a preview of Darchinyan/Arce and offers an interesting look at the fight sport demographics of Southern California:

First, Vic Darchinyan’s been saying that despite holding three world titles the respect has not come forth. He wants it.

Forget respect, what about getting fans?

The pocket destroyer Darchinyan (31-1-1, 25 KOs) has leveled three Mexicans, a Russian and a couple of Filipinos, so why won’t more than 3,000 Armenian fans show up when he fights yet another Mexican, Jorge “El Travieso” Arce (51-4-1, 39 KOs) on Saturday at the Honda Center.

According to the latest U.S. Census there are more than 120,000 Armenians living in Glendale, Burbank and North Hollywood. Why are they always dwarfed by the Mexican boxing fans in every big fight?

It’s not just because 10 million Mexicans live in Southern California. Even back in the 1960s when the Mexican population was about 200,000 in Southern California, they would pack 17,000 into the Inglewood Forum to see Ruben Olivares, Chu Chu Castillo, Rafael Herrera and even Bobby Chacon.

The Armenian fight fans need to show support for their fighters like Darchinyan and junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan, who is also on the boxing card.

Avila’s point about the Armenian fight fans is well taken and they’re definitely out there–you just need to look at the support they’ve given Armenian UFC superstar Karo Parisyan to validate that…

Darchinyan needs fans, three big Cali card @ The Sweet Science

The Sweet Science will also bring you the Arce/Darchinyan round by round starting at 6 PM Pacific/9 PM Eastern on Saturday night. I know you’re thinking ‘but that’s when the UFC’s Ultimate Fight Night starts!’. Why do you think tabbed web browsers were invented?? Open a new tab and follow both round by rounds. That’s an order….

VIC DARCHINYAN/JORGE ARCE ROUND BY ROUND @ THE SWEET SCIENCE