Light Middleweight Champ Carlos Molina Jailed In Las Vegas; Saturday Bout In Jeopardy

LAS VEGAS (AP) – A scheduled fight this weekend between IBF light middleweight champion Carlos Molina and challenger Jermall Charlo appeared to be in jeopardy Thursday, with Molina jailed in Las Vegas on a federal immigration hold and an arrest warrant from Wisconsin.

Molina, 30, of Mexico, was arrested Tuesday by Las Vegas police on a 2007 felony warrant from Outagamie County, Wisc., accusing him of failing to register as a sex offender, Las Vegas police Officer Laura Meltzer said.

Molina made an appearance Thursday before a Las Vegas justice of the peace and tried to post $10,000 bail, but his release was denied after jailers learned he was also sought by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Meltzer said.

ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice in Laguna Niguel, Calif., said she had no immediate information about Molina's case.

Molina (22-5-2, 6 KOs) is scheduled to defend his title against Charlo (17-0, 13 KOs) on the undercard of a five-fight card Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden arena on the Las Vegas Strip. The headline bout is a super welterweight matchup between Canelo Alvarez and Alfredo Angulo.

Nevada Athletic Commission Chairman Francisco Aguilar said state boxing regulators were aware of Molina's arrest and were waiting to hear from the fight promoters whether the bout would go on.

Molina's promoter, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing Promotions, didn't immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press.

Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer told reporters that Margules and Molina's lawyers were "trying to sort these issues out and have him ready, hopefully, for the weigh-in and ultimately for the fight."

"I know that Molina wants to fight and I know he has a team behind him which is going to do whatever it can to get him here in time to be on the card," Schaefer said.

The weigh-in is scheduled Friday.