Mexico’s former super-bantamweight world champion Hugo Ruiz will step in on short notice to replace injured former three-division champion Abner Mares in Gervonta Davis’ Feb. 9 super-featherweight title defense at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, the Los Angeles Times learned Wednesday.

Ruiz (39-4, 33 knockouts) takes the Showtime-televised fight only 11 days after defeating Alberto Guevara by unanimous decision in a featherweight bout on the Jan. 19 undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s Showtime pay-per-view victory over Adrien Broner at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Two sources connected to the bout but unauthorized by Premier Boxing Champions to speak publicly on the matter said Ruiz emerged following a right-elbow injury suffered this week by Hawaiian Gardens’ Mares (31-3-1, 15 KOs) as he trained in Riverside.

Ruiz’s emergence allows World Boxing Assn. champion Davis (20-0, 19 KOs) to keep the date after personal and promotional reasons kept him restricted to just one fight since August 2017.


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lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire