Keith Thurman defends his WBA (super) welterweight title and puts his unbeaten record on the line this Saturday night against Josesito Lopez.
The bout serves as the main event from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, airing live on FOX presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
Twenty-two of the 28 wins by Thurman have come via knockout, with the lone blemish on his record being a 2009 no-contest with Francisco Garcia after both boxers suffered cuts from an accidental head clash.
“Josesito is experienced. He’s a busy fighter with good reach. He likes to mix it up and force his opponents to fight,” Thurman said. “He also has a new coach in Robert Garcia now, and I know he has a lot of confidence in his abilities. Josesito has been through ups and downs in his career, but he’s back on an upswing at the moment. Then he pinpointed me and called me out. So I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
“I’m going to show my versatility in the ring. I’m going to show Josesito what it’s like to be in the ring with me. He might think it’s just all about my power, but I’ll show him what none of his sparring partners could. I’m going to show everyone the full package of skills I bring and enjoy every second of it.”
A long layoff due to injury has kept Thurman on the sidelines since his early 2017 title-unifying performance vs. Danny Garcia. That bout also took place from the Barclays Center.
“Training camp has been going well. It was a little bit of a slow start after so many months out of the ring, but I’m feeling great as we get closer to the fight,” he said. “I’m starting to feel more and more like a world-class athlete again. It’s a good feeling working this hard and it reminds me what it’ll take to continue being the champion.
“I don’t think ring rust will be an issue. The only thing that even if this may not be the best Keith Thurman that people have ever seen, we’re focused on getting better and much stronger with each fight. But make no mistake, people will see one of the best welterweights in the world on January 26 at Barclays Center.”
The card, which begins at 8 p.m. ET, will also see unbeaten heavyweight Adam Kownacki battling former title challenger Gerald Washington, plus unbeaten featherweight contender Tugstsogt Nyambayar taking on hard-hitting Claudio Marrero in a 12-round bout.