Tag: Chris Eubank Jr.

Chris Eubank Jr. puts Liam Williams down four times, wins wide decision

Chris Eubank Jr. puts Liam Williams down four times and won a wide decision Saturday in Cardiff, Wales.

Chris Eubank Jr. had no trouble with Liam Williams. Next up could be a shot at a world title.

Eubank put the normally rugged Williams down four times — thrice in the first four rounds — and won a wide decision in a 12-round middleweight bout in the loser’s home country of Wales.

The son of the former champion of the same name could next fight the winner of a tentative title-unification bout between Gennadiy Golovkin and Ryota Murata, which would be his second opportunity to fight for a major belt.

The 32-year-old Englishman lost a decision to then-champion George Groves in 2018.

Chris Eubank Jr knocked down Liam Williams four times. Huw Fairclough / Getty Images

“I wanted to teach this man a lesson,” said Eubank, who had exchanged harsh words with Williams beforehand. “He said some very menacing things to me leading up to this fight and I wanted to punish him. … It was a fun night.”

Eubank (32-2, 23 KOs) put Williams (23-4-1, 18 KOs) down with a short left jab in Round 1, did it again with a right-left combination in Round 2 and did it one more time with another jab in Round 4.

At that point, it seemed a matter of time until Eubank finished off an overmatched opponent. However, Williams had other ideas.

The principals fought on roughly even terms in eight of the rounds. Eubank boxed and moved well but Williams was generally the one moving forward and he landed a number of clean, eye-catching punches.

The Welshman seemed to have climbed back into the fight until disaster struck one more time in Round 11, when what appeared on replays to be a push was ruled a fourth knockdown by the referee.

If Williams had any chance of winning the fight on the cards, it was no longer possible after that.

The final scores were lopsided: 116-109, 116-108 and 117-109, all in Eubank’s favor. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-108 for the winner, eight rounds to four.

Eubank said afterward that he could’ve knocked out Williams if he had wanted to. He implied that he carried his opponent so he could inflict maximum punishment.

Williams’ supporters would say that it was their man’s ability and toughness that allowed him to survive.

“If I’d stepped on the gas at any point, he would’ve been gone,” he said. “But, you know, he needed to be taught a lesson. I didn’t want to give him the easy way out. I wanted him to know that there are levels to the game.

“And don’t go out there being a big mouth to guys you can get hurt against. He thought he was something he wasn’t.”

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Chris Eubank Jr.: ‘I’ll go at Liam Williams until he’s knocked out or quits’

Chris Eubank Jr. said: “I’ll go at Liam Williams until he’s knocked out or quits.”

Editor’s note: This article was originally published at DAZN.com.

Chris Eubankr Jr. hopes to knock Liam Williams out in the ring and then push him “out of boxing” when they meet on Saturday night.

The pair fight on Saturday in Cardiff, Wales in a fight that was twice rescheduled, because of Williams’ shoulder injury and then the British Boxing Board of Control’s decision to suspend boxing throughout January as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eubank will be fighting in Williams’ hometown but disputes whether he’s seen as the villain.

“Am I the bad guy? I don’t know if I like that title,” he told Sky Sports. “We are in his back garden. … [But] I am a stand-up guy and a standard-bearer for the sport, someone that kids can look up to and say: ‘I want to be like him’. Their parents want them to be like me.

“Williams is a bad representative of the sport. The way he talks, the way he holds himself. He needs to be pushed out of boxing.”

Eubank (31-2, 23 KOs) also said Williams (23-3-1, 18 KOs) is going to face a tough test.

“He’s in for a serious and rude awakening,” he said. “Anywhere the fight goes, he’ll be out of his depth. A fight, a boxing match, chess, a punch-up. I’ll be on him all night until he quits. I don’t see this fight going 12 rounds.

“My objective is to punish him until he gets knocked out or he quits.”

[lawrence-related id=27685,24290]

Chris Eubank Jr.: ‘I’ll go at Liam Williams until he’s knocked out or quits’

Chris Eubank Jr. said: “I’ll go at Liam Williams until he’s knocked out or quits.”

Editor’s note: This article was originally published at DAZN.com.

Chris Eubankr Jr. hopes to knock Liam Williams out in the ring and then push him “out of boxing” when they meet on Saturday night.

The pair fight on Saturday in Cardiff, Wales in a fight that was twice rescheduled, because of Williams’ shoulder injury and then the British Boxing Board of Control’s decision to suspend boxing throughout January as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eubank will be fighting in Williams’ hometown but disputes whether he’s seen as the villain.

“Am I the bad guy? I don’t know if I like that title,” he told Sky Sports. “We are in his back garden. … [But] I am a stand-up guy and a standard-bearer for the sport, someone that kids can look up to and say: ‘I want to be like him’. Their parents want them to be like me.

“Williams is a bad representative of the sport. The way he talks, the way he holds himself. He needs to be pushed out of boxing.”

Eubank (31-2, 23 KOs) also said Williams (23-3-1, 18 KOs) is going to face a tough test.

“He’s in for a serious and rude awakening,” he said. “Anywhere the fight goes, he’ll be out of his depth. A fight, a boxing match, chess, a punch-up. I’ll be on him all night until he quits. I don’t see this fight going 12 rounds.

“My objective is to punish him until he gets knocked out or he quits.”

[lawrence-related id=27685,24290]

Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Williams: date, time, how to watch, background

Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Williams: date, time, how to watch, background,

Middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr. faces Liam Williams on a pay-per-view card that also features Claressa Shields’ return to the boxing ring Saturday in Wales.

Chris Eubank Jr. (31-2, 23 KOs) vs. Liam Williams (23-3-1, 18 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 5
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales
  • TV/Stream: FITE pay-per-view
  • Cost: $29.99
  • Division: Middleweights
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Eubank 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kozin, middleweights (for Shields’ IBF, WBA and WBC titles); Samuel Antwi vs. Conah Walker, welterweights; Chris Jenkins vs. Julius Indongo, welterweights
  • Prediction: Eubank UD
  • Background: Eubank is on a roll. The 32-year-old son of Chris Eubank has won five consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to George Groves in 2018, including victories over Marcus Morrison and Wanik Awdijan last year. The fight against Williams is probably his most significant since he upset James DeGale by a unanimous decision in 2019. Eubank is seeking a fight against the winner of a projected title-unification bout between Gennadiy Golovkin and Ryota Murata if he wins on Saturday. Williams was outclassed by titleholder Demetrius Andrade in his most-recent bout, last April in Florida. He lost a wide decision in his first major title fight. However, Williams also was on a hot streak before that setback, with seven consecutive victories since back-to-back losses to Liam Smith in 2017. Williams is a solid boxer with heavy hands. His last 15 victories have come by knockout. In the co-feature, Claressa Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) returns to boxing after an 11-month hiatus to focus on her MMA career. She’ll defend her middleweight titles against Ema Kozin (21-0-1, 11 KOs) of Slovenia. Shields is coming off a shutout victory over Marie Eve Dicaire in defense of her 154-pound belts in March of last year. She later vacated those titles.

Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Williams: date, time, how to watch, background

Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Williams: date, time, how to watch, background,

Middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr. faces Liam Williams on a pay-per-view card that also features Claressa Shields’ return to the boxing ring Saturday in Wales.

Chris Eubank Jr. (31-2, 23 KOs) vs. Liam Williams (23-3-1, 18 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 5
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales
  • TV/Stream: FITE pay-per-view
  • Cost: $29.99
  • Division: Middleweights
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Eubank 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kozin, middleweights (for Shields’ IBF, WBA and WBC titles); Samuel Antwi vs. Conah Walker, welterweights; Chris Jenkins vs. Julius Indongo, welterweights
  • Prediction: Eubank UD
  • Background: Eubank is on a roll. The 32-year-old son of Chris Eubank has won five consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to George Groves in 2018, including victories over Marcus Morrison and Wanik Awdijan last year. The fight against Williams is probably his most significant since he upset James DeGale by a unanimous decision in 2019. Eubank is seeking a fight against the winner of a projected title-unification bout between Gennadiy Golovkin and Ryota Murata if he wins on Saturday. Williams was outclassed by titleholder Demetrius Andrade in his most-recent bout, last April in Florida. He lost a wide decision in his first major title fight. However, Williams also was on a hot streak before that setback, with seven consecutive victories since back-to-back losses to Liam Smith in 2017. Williams is a solid boxer with heavy hands. His last 15 victories have come by knockout. In the co-feature, Claressa Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) returns to boxing after an 11-month hiatus to focus on her MMA career. She’ll defend her middleweight titles against Ema Kozin (21-0-1, 11 KOs) of Slovenia. Shields is coming off a shutout victory over Marie Eve Dicaire in defense of her 154-pound belts in March of last year. She later vacated those titles.

Fight Week: Keith Thurman to make his return against Mario Barrios

Fight Week: Keith Thurman will make his return to the ring against Marios Barrios on Saturday.

FIGHT WEEK

Keith Thurman returns from a 2½-year layoff to face Mario Barrios. Carlos Cuadras, Chris Eubank Jr. and Claressa Shields also are in action on a busy weekend.

Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) vs. Mario Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Dec. 5
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas
  • TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
  • Division: Welterweight
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Thurman 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Abel Ramos vs. Lucas Santamaria, welterweights; Leo Santa Cruz vs. Keenan Carbajal
  • Prediction: Thurman KO 10
  • Background: Thurman, a former 147-pound titleholder, is returning from a 2½-year layoff in an attempt to regain his prominence. The athletic, hard-punching Floridian was last in the ring in July 2019, when he lost his WBA belt in an upset against 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao. The long hiatus, mostly a product of the coronavirus pandemic, has allowed him time to recover from nagging injuries and make a fresh start. He has said he feels as fit as ever at 33. We’ll see whether ring rust is a factor in the fight. If he defeats Barrios, he said, he hopes to fight for a major title in his next fight. Barrios will be making his debut as a full-fledged welterweight. The 26-year-old from San Antonio is coming off an 11th-round knockout loss at junior welterweight against Gervonta Davis, who moved up in weight to fight him. He’s a good boxer-puncher who will have youth the fact he has been active on his side. Key questions for him: 1. How much does Thurman have left? 2. Will he be able to handle the power of a 147-pounder and do damage himself.

 

Carlos Cuadras (39-4-1, 27 KOs) vs. Jesse Rodriguez (14-0, 10 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 5
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Junior bantamweight
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: Vacant WBC title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jamie Mitchell vs. Carly Skelly, bantamweights (for Mitchell’s WBA title); Raymond Ford vs. Edward Vazquez, featherweights
  • Prediction: Cuadras UD
  • Background: Cuadras, the former 115-pound titleholder, was supposed to have faced Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in a much anticipated rematch on Saturday and titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada was slated to face rival Roman Gonzalez on March 5 in a mini-tournament. However, the party has been spoiled. Both Sor Rungvisai and Estrada pulled out of their fights because of illness. Rodriguez, who had been scheduled to fight on Saturday’s card, agreed to step in this past weekend. And Gonzalez will face 112-pound champ Julio Cesar Martinez. Cuadras, 33, hasn’t held a major belt since 2016, when Gonzalez took it from him by decision. The Mexican is coming off an 11th-round knockout loss in a title challenge against Estrada in October 2020, his most-recent fight. Rodriguez, who had been scheduled to face Fernando Diaz, will be taking a significant step up in opposition. The southpaw from San Antonio was a good junior amateur who can box and punch. And he’s in a groove, having stopped his last six opponents. We’ll find out whether it’s too early for him to face a foe of Cuadras’ caliber and experience.

 

Chris Eubank Jr. (31-2, 23 KOs) vs. Liam Williams (23-3-1, 18 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 5
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales
  • TV/Stream: FITE
  • Division: Middleweights
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Eubank 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kozin, middleweights (for Shields’ IBF, WBA and WBC titles); Samuel Antwi vs. Conah Walker, welterweights; Chris Jenkins vs. Julius Indongo, welterweights
  • Prediction: Eubank UD
  • Background: Eubank is on a roll. The 32-year-old son of Chris Eubank has won five consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to George Groves in 2018, including victories over Marcus Morrison and Wanik Awdijan last year. The fight against Williams is probably his most significant since he upset James DeGale by a unanimous decision in 2019. Eubank is seeking a fight against the winner of a projected title-unification bout between Gennadiy Golovkin and Ryota Murata if he wins on Saturday. Williams was outclassed by titleholder Demetrius Andrade in his most-recent bout, last April in Florida. He lost a wide decision in his first major title fight. However, Williams also was on a hot streak before that setback, with seven consecutive victories since back-to-back losses to Liam Smith in 2017. Williams is a solid boxer with heavy hands. His last 15 victories have come by knockout. In the co-feature, Claressa Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) returns to boxing after an 11-month hiatus. She’ll defend her middleweight titles against Ema Kozin (21-0-1, 11 KOs) of Slovenia.

Fight Week: Keith Thurman to make his return against Mario Barrios

Fight Week: Keith Thurman will make his return to the ring against Marios Barrios on Saturday.

FIGHT WEEK

Keith Thurman returns from a 2½-year layoff to face Mario Barrios. Carlos Cuadras, Chris Eubank Jr. and Claressa Shields also are in action on a busy weekend.

Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) vs. Mario Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Dec. 5
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas
  • TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
  • Division: Welterweight
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Thurman 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Abel Ramos vs. Lucas Santamaria, welterweights; Leo Santa Cruz vs. Keenan Carbajal
  • Prediction: Thurman KO 10
  • Background: Thurman, a former 147-pound titleholder, is returning from a 2½-year layoff in an attempt to regain his prominence. The athletic, hard-punching Floridian was last in the ring in July 2019, when he lost his WBA belt in an upset against 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao. The long hiatus, mostly a product of the coronavirus pandemic, has allowed him time to recover from nagging injuries and make a fresh start. He has said he feels as fit as ever at 33. We’ll see whether ring rust is a factor in the fight. If he defeats Barrios, he said, he hopes to fight for a major title in his next fight. Barrios will be making his debut as a full-fledged welterweight. The 26-year-old from San Antonio is coming off an 11th-round knockout loss at junior welterweight against Gervonta Davis, who moved up in weight to fight him. He’s a good boxer-puncher who will have youth the fact he has been active on his side. Key questions for him: 1. How much does Thurman have left? 2. Will he be able to handle the power of a 147-pounder and do damage himself.

 

Carlos Cuadras (39-4-1, 27 KOs) vs. Jesse Rodriguez (14-0, 10 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 5
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Junior bantamweight
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: Vacant WBC title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jamie Mitchell vs. Carly Skelly, bantamweights (for Mitchell’s WBA title); Raymond Ford vs. Edward Vazquez, featherweights
  • Prediction: Cuadras UD
  • Background: Cuadras, the former 115-pound titleholder, was supposed to have faced Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in a much anticipated rematch on Saturday and titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada was slated to face rival Roman Gonzalez on March 5 in a mini-tournament. However, the party has been spoiled. Both Sor Rungvisai and Estrada pulled out of their fights because of illness. Rodriguez, who had been scheduled to fight on Saturday’s card, agreed to step in this past weekend. And Gonzalez will face 112-pound champ Julio Cesar Martinez. Cuadras, 33, hasn’t held a major belt since 2016, when Gonzalez took it from him by decision. The Mexican is coming off an 11th-round knockout loss in a title challenge against Estrada in October 2020, his most-recent fight. Rodriguez, who had been scheduled to face Fernando Diaz, will be taking a significant step up in opposition. The southpaw from San Antonio was a good junior amateur who can box and punch. And he’s in a groove, having stopped his last six opponents. We’ll find out whether it’s too early for him to face a foe of Cuadras’ caliber and experience.

 

Chris Eubank Jr. (31-2, 23 KOs) vs. Liam Williams (23-3-1, 18 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 5
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales
  • TV/Stream: FITE
  • Division: Middleweights
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Eubank 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kozin, middleweights (for Shields’ IBF, WBA and WBC titles); Samuel Antwi vs. Conah Walker, welterweights; Chris Jenkins vs. Julius Indongo, welterweights
  • Prediction: Eubank UD
  • Background: Eubank is on a roll. The 32-year-old son of Chris Eubank has won five consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to George Groves in 2018, including victories over Marcus Morrison and Wanik Awdijan last year. The fight against Williams is probably his most significant since he upset James DeGale by a unanimous decision in 2019. Eubank is seeking a fight against the winner of a projected title-unification bout between Gennadiy Golovkin and Ryota Murata if he wins on Saturday. Williams was outclassed by titleholder Demetrius Andrade in his most-recent bout, last April in Florida. He lost a wide decision in his first major title fight. However, Williams also was on a hot streak before that setback, with seven consecutive victories since back-to-back losses to Liam Smith in 2017. Williams is a solid boxer with heavy hands. His last 15 victories have come by knockout. In the co-feature, Claressa Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) returns to boxing after an 11-month hiatus. She’ll defend her middleweight titles against Ema Kozin (21-0-1, 11 KOs) of Slovenia.

Fight Week: Mike Garcia returns after 20 months to face obscure foe

FIGHT WEEK MIKEY GARCIA RETURNS AFTER A 20-MONTH LAYOFF TO FACE SANDOR MARTIN OF SPAIN ON SATURDAY. ALSO, ON FRIDAY, EMANUEL NAVARRETE WILL DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST JOET GONZALEZ. *** EMANUEL NAVARRETE (34-1, 29 KOs) VS. JOET GONZALEZ (24-1, 14 KOs) …

FIGHT WEEK

MIKEY GARCIA RETURNS AFTER A 20-MONTH LAYOFF TO FACE SANDOR MARTIN OF SPAIN ON SATURDAY. ALSO, ON FRIDAY, EMANUEL NAVARRETE WILL DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST JOET GONZALEZ.

***

EMANUEL NAVARRETE (34-1, 29 KOs) VS. JOET GONZALEZ (24-1, 14 KOs)

  • When: Friday, Oct. 15
  • Where: Pechanga Arena, San Diego
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Giovani Santillan vs. Angel Ruiz, welterweights
  • Prediction: Navarrete UD
  • Background: Navarrete is a two-division titleholder who will be making the second defense of his 126-pound belt, which he won by outpointing Ruben Villa when the title was vacant. The swarming volume puncher from Mexico City, who gradually wears his opponents down, established himself as an elite fighter by defeating Isaac Dogboe in consecutive fights in 2018 (UD) and 2019 (TKO 12). The first one was for the WBO 122-pound title. He successfully defended that belt five times before moving up to featherweight. The 26-year-old is coming off a 12th-round TKO of Christopher Diaz in April, a fight he was winning by a large margin at the time of the stoppage. Navarrete’s only loss came in his sixth pro fight, more than nine years ago. Gonzalez, a 27-year-old product of Los Angeles, might be best known for losing a wide decision to talented Shakur Stevenson in a fight for the vacant WBO 126-pound title, which Stevenson immediately vacated. However, Gonzalez is a good all-around fighter. He rebounded from the loss to Stevenson by easily outpoint veteran Miguel Marriaga and has other victories over solid opponents.

***

MIKEY GARCIA (40-1, 30 KOs) VS. SANDOR MARTIN (38-2, 13 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 16
  • Where: Chukchansi Park, Fresno
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Garcia No. 11
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Elwin Soto vs. Jonathan Gonzalez, junior flyweights (for Soto’s WBO title); Esteban Bermudez vs. Jesse Rodriguez, junior flyweights
  • Prediction: Garcia KO 7
  • Background: Garcia was a prime candidate to face Manny Pacquiao but the Filipino star ended up fighting Yordenis Ugas. Then the former four-division titleholder was in talks to face Regis Prograis in what would’ve been a major fight but it didn’t happen. So now, just to keep busy, he’ll face a relatively unknown Spaniard and seek bigger and better challenges afterward. Garcia, 33, bounced back from his one-sided loss to Errol Spence Jr. in March 2019 to defeat veteran Jessie Vargas by a convincing decision in February of last year. That was his most-recent fight, meaning he will have been out of the ring for almost 20 months. He is ranked No. 3 by the WBO and No. 4 by the WBC. Martin, a 28-year-old from Barcelona, has a lot working against him. He has never faced anyone near Garcia’s ability, he’ll be fighting outside of Europe for the first time and he’s moving up in weight for the fight. He has won nine consecutive fights since losing a decision to Anthony Yigit in 2017 – including a decision over Kay Prospere in April, his last fight – but the streak figures to end in Fresno. On the undercard, Elwin Soto (19-1, 13 KOs) of Mexico will make the fourth defense of his WBO junior flyweight title against Puerto Rican resident Jonathan Gonzalez (24-3-1, 14 KOs).

Also fighting this weekend:

THURSDAY

  • Manuel Gallegos (18-1, 15 KOs) of Mexico will face countryman Gabriel Lopez (10-5-1, 7 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round super middleweight fight in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass).

FRIDAY

  • Santiago Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs) of Mexico will take on Jesus Antonio Rubio (13-4-1, 7 KOs), also of Mexico, in a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout in Los Mochis (UFC Fight Pass).

SATURDAY

  • IBF cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs) will defend his belt against Artur Mann (17-1, 9 KOs) of Kazakhstan in Riga, Latvia, Briedis’ home country.
  • Hughie Fury (25-3, 14 KOs) of England will face Christian Hammer (26-7, 16 KOs) of Romania in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout in Newcastle, England (Sky Sports in the U.K.). Also on that card, WBO middleweight titleholder Savannah Marshall (10-0, 8 KOs) of England will defend her belt against Lolita Muzeya (16-0, 8 KOs) of Zambia. And Chris Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) of England will face Wanik Awdijan (28-1, 11 KOs) of Armenia in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.
  • New Yorker Cletus Seldin (25-1, 21 KOs) will fight William Silva (28-3, 16 KOs) of Brazil in a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (FITE).

Fight Week: Mike Garcia returns after 20 months to face obscure foe

FIGHT WEEK MIKEY GARCIA RETURNS AFTER A 20-MONTH LAYOFF TO FACE SANDOR MARTIN OF SPAIN ON SATURDAY. ALSO, ON FRIDAY, EMANUEL NAVARRETE WILL DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST JOET GONZALEZ. *** EMANUEL NAVARRETE (34-1, 29 KOs) VS. JOET GONZALEZ (24-1, 14 KOs) …

FIGHT WEEK

MIKEY GARCIA RETURNS AFTER A 20-MONTH LAYOFF TO FACE SANDOR MARTIN OF SPAIN ON SATURDAY. ALSO, ON FRIDAY, EMANUEL NAVARRETE WILL DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST JOET GONZALEZ.

***

EMANUEL NAVARRETE (34-1, 29 KOs) VS. JOET GONZALEZ (24-1, 14 KOs)

  • When: Friday, Oct. 15
  • Where: Pechanga Arena, San Diego
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Giovani Santillan vs. Angel Ruiz, welterweights
  • Prediction: Navarrete UD
  • Background: Navarrete is a two-division titleholder who will be making the second defense of his 126-pound belt, which he won by outpointing Ruben Villa when the title was vacant. The swarming volume puncher from Mexico City, who gradually wears his opponents down, established himself as an elite fighter by defeating Isaac Dogboe in consecutive fights in 2018 (UD) and 2019 (TKO 12). The first one was for the WBO 122-pound title. He successfully defended that belt five times before moving up to featherweight. The 26-year-old is coming off a 12th-round TKO of Christopher Diaz in April, a fight he was winning by a large margin at the time of the stoppage. Navarrete’s only loss came in his sixth pro fight, more than nine years ago. Gonzalez, a 27-year-old product of Los Angeles, might be best known for losing a wide decision to talented Shakur Stevenson in a fight for the vacant WBO 126-pound title, which Stevenson immediately vacated. However, Gonzalez is a good all-around fighter. He rebounded from the loss to Stevenson by easily outpoint veteran Miguel Marriaga and has other victories over solid opponents.

***

MIKEY GARCIA (40-1, 30 KOs) VS. SANDOR MARTIN (38-2, 13 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 16
  • Where: Chukchansi Park, Fresno
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Garcia No. 11
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Elwin Soto vs. Jonathan Gonzalez, junior flyweights (for Soto’s WBO title); Esteban Bermudez vs. Jesse Rodriguez, junior flyweights
  • Prediction: Garcia KO 7
  • Background: Garcia was a prime candidate to face Manny Pacquiao but the Filipino star ended up fighting Yordenis Ugas. Then the former four-division titleholder was in talks to face Regis Prograis in what would’ve been a major fight but it didn’t happen. So now, just to keep busy, he’ll face a relatively unknown Spaniard and seek bigger and better challenges afterward. Garcia, 33, bounced back from his one-sided loss to Errol Spence Jr. in March 2019 to defeat veteran Jessie Vargas by a convincing decision in February of last year. That was his most-recent fight, meaning he will have been out of the ring for almost 20 months. He is ranked No. 3 by the WBO and No. 4 by the WBC. Martin, a 28-year-old from Barcelona, has a lot working against him. He has never faced anyone near Garcia’s ability, he’ll be fighting outside of Europe for the first time and he’s moving up in weight for the fight. He has won nine consecutive fights since losing a decision to Anthony Yigit in 2017 – including a decision over Kay Prospere in April, his last fight – but the streak figures to end in Fresno. On the undercard, Elwin Soto (19-1, 13 KOs) of Mexico will make the fourth defense of his WBO junior flyweight title against Puerto Rican resident Jonathan Gonzalez (24-3-1, 14 KOs).

Also fighting this weekend:

THURSDAY

  • Manuel Gallegos (18-1, 15 KOs) of Mexico will face countryman Gabriel Lopez (10-5-1, 7 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round super middleweight fight in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass).

FRIDAY

  • Santiago Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs) of Mexico will take on Jesus Antonio Rubio (13-4-1, 7 KOs), also of Mexico, in a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout in Los Mochis (UFC Fight Pass).

SATURDAY

  • IBF cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs) will defend his belt against Artur Mann (17-1, 9 KOs) of Kazakhstan in Riga, Latvia, Briedis’ home country.
  • Hughie Fury (25-3, 14 KOs) of England will face Christian Hammer (26-7, 16 KOs) of Romania in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout in Newcastle, England (Sky Sports in the U.K.). Also on that card, WBO middleweight titleholder Savannah Marshall (10-0, 8 KOs) of England will defend her belt against Lolita Muzeya (16-0, 8 KOs) of Zambia. And Chris Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) of England will face Wanik Awdijan (28-1, 11 KOs) of Armenia in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.
  • New Yorker Cletus Seldin (25-1, 21 KOs) will fight William Silva (28-3, 16 KOs) of Brazil in a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (FITE).

Fight Week: Mike Garcia returns after 20 months to face obscure foe

FIGHT WEEK MIKEY GARCIA RETURNS AFTER A 20-MONTH LAYOFF TO FACE SANDOR MARTIN OF SPAIN ON SATURDAY. ALSO, ON FRIDAY, EMANUEL NAVARRETE WILL DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST JOET GONZALEZ. *** EMANUEL NAVARRETE (34-1, 29 KOs) VS. JOET GONZALEZ (24-1, 14 KOs) …

FIGHT WEEK

MIKEY GARCIA RETURNS AFTER A 20-MONTH LAYOFF TO FACE SANDOR MARTIN OF SPAIN ON SATURDAY. ALSO, ON FRIDAY, EMANUEL NAVARRETE WILL DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST JOET GONZALEZ.

***

EMANUEL NAVARRETE (34-1, 29 KOs) VS. JOET GONZALEZ (24-1, 14 KOs)

  • When: Friday, Oct. 15
  • Where: Pechanga Arena, San Diego
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Giovani Santillan vs. Angel Ruiz, welterweights
  • Prediction: Navarrete UD
  • Background: Navarrete is a two-division titleholder who will be making the second defense of his 126-pound belt, which he won by outpointing Ruben Villa when the title was vacant. The swarming volume puncher from Mexico City, who gradually wears his opponents down, established himself as an elite fighter by defeating Isaac Dogboe in consecutive fights in 2018 (UD) and 2019 (TKO 12). The first one was for the WBO 122-pound title. He successfully defended that belt five times before moving up to featherweight. The 26-year-old is coming off a 12th-round TKO of Christopher Diaz in April, a fight he was winning by a large margin at the time of the stoppage. Navarrete’s only loss came in his sixth pro fight, more than nine years ago. Gonzalez, a 27-year-old product of Los Angeles, might be best known for losing a wide decision to talented Shakur Stevenson in a fight for the vacant WBO 126-pound title, which Stevenson immediately vacated. However, Gonzalez is a good all-around fighter. He rebounded from the loss to Stevenson by easily outpoint veteran Miguel Marriaga and has other victories over solid opponents.

***

MIKEY GARCIA (40-1, 30 KOs) VS. SANDOR MARTIN (38-2, 13 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 16
  • Where: Chukchansi Park, Fresno
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Garcia No. 11
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Elwin Soto vs. Jonathan Gonzalez, junior flyweights (for Soto’s WBO title); Esteban Bermudez vs. Jesse Rodriguez, junior flyweights
  • Prediction: Garcia KO 7
  • Background: Garcia was a prime candidate to face Manny Pacquiao but the Filipino star ended up fighting Yordenis Ugas. Then the former four-division titleholder was in talks to face Regis Prograis in what would’ve been a major fight but it didn’t happen. So now, just to keep busy, he’ll face a relatively unknown Spaniard and seek bigger and better challenges afterward. Garcia, 33, bounced back from his one-sided loss to Errol Spence Jr. in March 2019 to defeat veteran Jessie Vargas by a convincing decision in February of last year. That was his most-recent fight, meaning he will have been out of the ring for almost 20 months. He is ranked No. 3 by the WBO and No. 4 by the WBC. Martin, a 28-year-old from Barcelona, has a lot working against him. He has never faced anyone near Garcia’s ability, he’ll be fighting outside of Europe for the first time and he’s moving up in weight for the fight. He has won nine consecutive fights since losing a decision to Anthony Yigit in 2017 – including a decision over Kay Prospere in April, his last fight – but the streak figures to end in Fresno. On the undercard, Elwin Soto (19-1, 13 KOs) of Mexico will make the fourth defense of his WBO junior flyweight title against Puerto Rican resident Jonathan Gonzalez (24-3-1, 14 KOs).

Also fighting this weekend:

THURSDAY

  • Manuel Gallegos (18-1, 15 KOs) of Mexico will face countryman Gabriel Lopez (10-5-1, 7 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round super middleweight fight in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass).

FRIDAY

  • Santiago Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs) of Mexico will take on Jesus Antonio Rubio (13-4-1, 7 KOs), also of Mexico, in a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout in Los Mochis (UFC Fight Pass).

SATURDAY

  • IBF cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs) will defend his belt against Artur Mann (17-1, 9 KOs) of Kazakhstan in Riga, Latvia, Briedis’ home country.
  • Hughie Fury (25-3, 14 KOs) of England will face Christian Hammer (26-7, 16 KOs) of Romania in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout in Newcastle, England (Sky Sports in the U.K.). Also on that card, WBO middleweight titleholder Savannah Marshall (10-0, 8 KOs) of England will defend her belt against Lolita Muzeya (16-0, 8 KOs) of Zambia. And Chris Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) of England will face Wanik Awdijan (28-1, 11 KOs) of Armenia in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.
  • New Yorker Cletus Seldin (25-1, 21 KOs) will fight William Silva (28-3, 16 KOs) of Brazil in a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (FITE).