ESPN Boxing

Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga aren't supposed to fight each other in the ring until Sept. 8, but Wednesday they got a head start and gave the media a preview.

Two of boxing's more emotional fighters got into a brawl during the formal announcement of their Sept. 8 middleweight fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (Showtime PPV).

It wasn't the first press conference dust up for Vargas, a two-time junior middleweight titlist who instigated a scuffle with Oscar De La Hoya during a news conference before their 2002 fight. Mayorga has barked at opponents for years and come close to fisticuffs during numerous media events.

Wednesday, he and Vargas came to blows after Mayorga taunted Vargas during his remarks at the podium.

"I'm going to finish you, but you're finished already," Mayorga, who has held titles at welterweight and junior middleweight, said to Vargas, who was seated near him. "I'm going to give Vargas the chance to cash his last pension check. I would like to say publicly that fatty over here has always feared me. I conceded to take this fight at 162 pounds because fatty couldn't lose any more weight. After this fight I'm going back to 147. I want [Floyd] Mayweather, [Shane] Mosley, all of them.

"I will do Vargas a favor by retiring him in this fight so his family doesn't have to suffer every time he steps in the ring. I'm going to do your wife a favor and not let her cry anymore after I disfigure you."

At that point, Vargas (26-4, 22 KOs) and members of his team stood up in anger and Mayorga smacked Vargas, who retaliated by landing two blows as the teams tried to restrain them.

Vargas, who said the fight will be his career finale, wound up with a cut on his hand and Mayorga had a small cut over his left eye and a bloody lip. When the order was restored, Mayorga left the room and Vargas addressed the press.

"This will be my last fight for one reason only. It's for pride. I can't leave my career after a loss," said Vargas, 29, who has taken enormous punishment during his career, including during two knockout losses in one-sided fights against Mosley last year. "Mayorga can disrespect me all he wants but not my queens [his mother, wife and daughter]."

Mayorga (27-6-1, 22 KOs) hasn't fought since he was thrashed by De La Hoya on May 6, 2006. De La Hoya knocked him out in the sixth round to win a junior middleweight title.

De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad both own knockout wins against Vargas and Mayorga.

Vargas said the action at the press conference was only a glimpse of what fans can expect when the bell rings.

"We should have sold tickets to this press conference," Vargas said. "We had a little fireworks here today. There will definitely be fireworks in the ring at Staples Center on Sept. 8."

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.