The junior welterweight contender signed a long-term partnership with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records. His return is set for August 15 against Emmanuel Tagoe, it was announced on Thursday.

The bout will be featured as the co-main event for the show headlined by Claressa Shields vs. Kaye Scott at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on DAZN.

Mercado (19-0, 18 KOs), a knockout artist from Pomona, California, is rated No. 4 by the WBO and No. 5 by the IBF at 140 pounds and considered by many a surefire candidate to be a future world titleholder.

“What made this the right fit was that it felt like family," Mercado said in a statement.

"That's important to me, because boxing has always been a family business. My father Neto has been my trainer since I was five years old, and I wanted to be with a team that believes in me, keeps me active and shares the same vision for where my career is headed.

"There were other opportunities, but this one felt different. Salita stays active, puts on quality shows and keeps his fighters busy. I'm an active fighter, and I want to fight the best as often as possible. I believe this partnership puts me in the best position to become a world champion."

The last few months have been busy for the 24-year-old, who's been linked to several other entities. On June 2, it was announced that Mercado signed a promotional pact with Southern California-based upstart DMG Boxing, but Mercado never competed under the company's banner. Instead, he fought on a Misfits Pro card on June 19 and stopped Juan Carlos Burgos in the second round.

In April, Mercado revealed he parted ways with Matchroom Boxing after signing with Eddie Hearn in September 2024 as a lauded free agent who had wins against Jeremia Nakathila, Xolisani Ndongeni, Hank Lundy and Jayson Velez. Mercado had two fights with Matchroom in 2025, knockout wins over Jose Pedraza and Antonio Moran.

Mercado has been calling for fights against Shakur Stevenson, Richardson Hitchins, Keyshawn Davis, Dalton Smith, Emiliano Vargas, and others. The onus now falls on Salita's shoulders to get Mercado the meaningful matchups he's looking for.

“Tito is one of the most exciting young fighters in boxing today," Salita said in a statement.

"His knockout power, discipline, and relentless style make him a must-watch every time he steps into the ring. We believe he has the talent and work ethic to become one of the biggest stars in the sport, and we’re proud to be part of what we believe can be a historic journey.”

Tagoe (34-2, 16 KOs) was last under the bright lights when he lost a unanimous decision to Ryan Garcia in April 2022. However, the 37-year-old from Accra, Ghana, has fought just twice since then, scoring wins against unheralded opposition.

"There wasn't a lot of time to find an opponent, but I think they picked the right guy," Mercado said. “Tagoe went the distance with Ryan Garcia, so this is an opportunity for me to make a statement. I want to go in there, get him out of there and continue climbing the rankings.

"The goal is simple – become a world champion. That's what we've been working toward my entire life. Every fight is another step closer, and I want to put myself in a position where the biggest fights can't be avoided."