Mike Alvarado will return home to fight again in Colorado — and he’ll again fight his nemesis. The Denver boxer is set to face California’s Brandon Rios on Jan. 24 in Broomfield, their promoter said Tuesday.

Alvarado and Rios have split two brutal fights, in Carson, Calif., and Las Vegas. Alvarado in March of 2013 won a unanimous decision over Rios — in a fight many listed among the best of the year — that netted Alvarado the WBO junior welterweight title.

“This is probably the best fight for both guys,” said Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank, the promoter for both fighters.

“There’s unfinished business between the two. That makes it all the more telegenic, makes it all the more intriguing. You know what you’re gonna get once the fight starts.”

Since stealing Rios’ title, Alvarado (34-3) is on a two-fight losing streak, including an upset loss to Russian Ruslan Provodnikov at the FirstBank Center in Broomfield last year and a 12-round decision to veteran legend Juan Manuel Marquez in Inglewood, Calif., in May.

Rios (32-2-1) is coming off a decision loss to Manny Pacquiao late last year and a win by disqualification against Diego Chaves in August.

Their third fight — the first two were protracted, bloody brawls — will also be fought at the biggest weight limit. They’re scheduled for 12 rounds at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. The fight will air on HBO from the FirstBank Center.

“When you get to this level, you have no choice but to fight tough,” said Henry Delgado, Alvarado’s manager. “Especially if you’ve lost your last two. If you’re getting the money you’re getting, you have to fight.”

A third Alvarado-Rios fight scouts much the same as the first two. Alvarado lost the first when he engaged in trading haymakers in the middle of the ring, but he won the second when he proved to be the better boxer.

“If Mike does the right things, like he’s supposed to, we can outbox him,” Delgado said. “Anybody can outbox Rios. But you have to stick to the gameplan. If you give him a chance when you’re mixing up with him, that’s trouble.”

Alvarado-Rios III was an easy sell for Top Rank and HBO, Moretti said. But the date was more difficult.

“The fact that the Broncos might go to the Super Bowl, pushed us to the 24th,” Moretti said. “We really didn’t want to go the night before the Super Bowl.”

Top Rank will officially announce the fight at a news conference next Tuesday in Denver.

Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickgroke