Keith Thurman and Mario Barrios may still be two of the best boxers in the world. But they’ll have to prove it on Saturday night.
Both fighters coming off losses heading into their showdown on Feb. 5 at Las Vegas’ Michelob ULTRA Arena. The pay-per-view main card begins at 9 p.m. with Thurman and Barrios expected to make their ring walks around midnight EST. Fans can stream on various platforms via FITE.
Order and live stream Thurman vs. Barrios on FITE TV
SEEKING REDEMPTION
Thurman was the top welterweight in the world before losing to Manny Pacquiao by split decision in July 2019, bringing an end to his unified welterweight championship status. Thurman hasn’t fought since then and comes into his showdown with Barrios unranked.
Barrios is currently No. 8 in the WBA rankings but lost his WBA super lightweight title via TKO to Gervonta Davis in June. Saturday’s main event will be contested at welterweight.
The division has evolved into, arguably, boxing’s best with Errol Spence Jr. (WBC and IBF welterweight champion), Terence Crawford (WBO welterweight champion), Yordenis Ugas (WBA super welterweight champion) and Radzhab Butaev (WBA regular welterweight champion) leading the way.
The winner of Thurman-Barrios could position themselves for a title shot. The loser could be erased from the division entirely, something that’s not lost on Thurman.
“The sport of boxing, my legacy, is not over. The story is still being written,” Thurman said during a recent training session. “In 2022 we have a new chapter for Keith Thurman.”
Barrios, who is moving up in weight for the fight, is equally confident.
“The move up, it’s been a long time coming already,” Barrios said on Brian Custer’s Last Stand Podcast. “But it’s here, we’ve got a great opportunity in front of us, a great fighter in front of us, and just looking forward to going out Feb. 5th and giving everybody a great fight, displaying my abilities once more and looking forward to coming up victorious come Feb. 5.”
ODDS
Betting experts favor Thurman to bounce back. He comes in as a –186 favorite on the moneyline at FanDuel Sportsbook. Barrios is a +146 underdog. Most wagers are on Thurman to win by decision.
Moneyline:
- Keith Thurman: (-186)
- Mario Barrios: (+146)
- Draw: (+1600)
Method of Victory:
- Thurman by KO/TKO: (+190)
- Thurman by Points: (+240)
- Barrios by KO/TKO: (+470)
- Barrios by Points: (+310)
UNDERCARD
Saturday’s undercard also carries weight. WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz will take on Keenan Carbajal, while welterweight Abel Ramos battles Josesito Lopez and former bantam/super bantam champion Luis Nery looks to give Carlos Castro his first loss.
In the co-feature event, Cruz will look to reassert himself in the welterweight division. He’s coming off a brutal knockout loss to Gervonta Davis in October 2020.
“I feel good,” Santa Cruz recently told Boxing Junkie. “Before, when I was training, when I was sparring, I felt kind of tired. My arms would get tired right away. This camp I feel better in the gym than I did in other camps.”
PPV Fight Card
- Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios; welterweights
- Leo Santa Cruz vs. Keenan Carbajal; super featherweights
- Abel Ramos vs. Lucas Santamaria; welterweights
- Luis Nery vs. Carlos Castro; super bantamweights
SCHEDULE
Date: Saturday, Feb. 5
Main card: 9 p.m. EST
Main event ring walks: 12 a.m. EST
As always with live boxing, estimated ring walk times are subject to change depending on how long the undercard takes.
HOW TO WATCH
There are a few outlets to watch Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios. You can order on traditional pay-per-view platforms, the Fox Sports app or FITE.tv. The PPV costs $74.99.
The FITE app is available on Roku, Xbox, AppleTV, Chromecast, PS4, Samsung Smart TV, LG, Sony, Sharp, Panasonic, Windows, Mac.
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