KEY WEST, Florida Keys — The Key West boxing tradition, whose fans included legendary author Ernest Hemingway, is to come alive Friday, Jan. 16, with a seven-bout match set to take place overlooking Key West Harbor at Mallory Square.

Dubbed "Fight Night in the Keys," the sporting challenge features spectator attractions including Key West’s typically balmy January weather and the chance to view big-name boxing in an open-air waterfront setting. For those who can’t travel to the island city, the match is slated for live broadcast on ESPN 2’s “Friday Night Fights.”

The scheduled main event is a bout between Carlos “El Indio” Quintana and Eromosele “Bad Boy” Albert. Quintana, a former WBO world welterweight champion, has a record of 26 wins and two losses. His competitor Albert boasts a record of 21 wins, two losses and one draw.

The other scheduled marquee event pits James “Buddy” McGirt Jr., whose career includes 19 wins, one loss and one draw, against Angel “Toro” Hernandez. Hernandez has racked up 28 wins and seven losses in his career.

The evening’s action also is to include local favorites Danny Van Staden and Sergei Ganjelashvilli.

The new Fight Night tradition recalls a Key West history of boxing that was particularly strong in the 1930s, when Hemingway made his home on the island. The author often spent leisure hours officiating boxing matches at a makeshift arena not far from his Whitehead Street home, and befriended and sparred with a group of fighters from the nearby Bahama Village district.

The gates at Mallory Square are to open at 6 p.m. ET and the first bout is slated to begin at 7 p.m.

General admission tickets are priced at $35 per person. Ringside seats are $65 per person, while VIP seating is $150 per person and includes admission to three parties that round out the sporting schedule.

To purchase tickets online, visit keystix.com. For lodging information in Key West, contact the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-LAST-KEY (800-527-8539) or explore this Web site at fla-keys.com.