Ava "The Lady of Boxing" Knight

After knocking out Arely Mucino, new IBF champ Ava Knight will defend her belt for the first time against number one contender Hongfah Tor Buamas on March 31 in Los Cabos, Mex.

The fight will be promoted by Hector Garcia Boxing and take place on the undercard of WBC junior bantamweight champion Ana Maria Torres' bout against Mary Ortega.

While Knight (7-1-3, 4 KOs), from Chico, Calif., earned her belt with a vicious Knockout of the Year candidate against Arely Mucino in Mexico last October, Tor Buamas (15-4, 2 KOs) will be fighting for the first time as a pro outside her native Thailand.

"Even though she has a good record, it doesn't really look like the girls she's fought are too experienced," said Knight. "Either way, I'll be thinking about this fight the same way I do as a challenger, as if I'm going to take the title. I'm going to work hard, train hard, and be ready for her because she is the number one contendor and she is a champion."

Knight, currently No. 9 in the CSNBayArea.com Northern California pound-for-pound media poll, has begun camp in the high-altitude environment of Colorado Springs with trainer Ben Bautista.

"We're going down to Mexico to knock her out," the San Francisco-based Bautista said.

Boxing correspondent Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine's Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.