It’s Fight Night at Olympic

Tonight is Israeli night at the Olympic Auditorium.

In the main event, Israel Vazquez (35-3, 25 knockouts) will face Joe Luis Valbuena (24-2-1, 14 KOs) for the vacant International Boxing Federation junior-featherweight title.

And in a six-round preliminary welterweight match, Merhav Mohar (9-1, 3 KOs), a sergeant in the Israeli army, will fight Eddie Pacheco (3-3).

Vazquez, from Mexico, first demonstrated his ability to compete against a top fighter seven years ago when he knocked out current World Boxing Council 122-pound champion Oscar Larios in the first round of a nontitle match. Larios came back five years later, in 2002, to win the rematch via a 12th-round TKO. That’s the only loss by Vazquez in his last 16 bouts.

Valbuena, a Venezuelan, has lost only once in his last 19 fights, and that was to Marco Antonio Barrera in 2000.

While most fighters approach a trip into the ring as a pressure-packed situation, Mohar considers it a vacation.

That’s understandable since his whirlwind trip to L.A. -- he arrived last weekend and will return to Israel this weekend -- gives him a break from his military duties as a high-tech specialist.

A former kickboxer, Mohar became a regular boxer three years ago, joining a sport that is enjoying increased popularity in Israel.

He trains at one of 24 CMA gyms in the country, where everything from martial arts to boxing is practiced.

“It is very important for me to be in the Israeli army,” Mohar said. “I don’t want to miss any more days than I have to. But it is also important for people to see me box with the Star of David on my trunks.”

The Olympic doors will open at 6 tonight.