Keith Thurman vs Mario Barrios: fight predictions, hole cards, odds, start time, preview, how to watch

The best fights are when two fighters of different styles meet, and both have questions to answer. That’s the kind of fight Saturday night (9 p.m. ET, Fox PPV) when Keith Thurman and Mario Barrios met in a welterweight bout.

Thurman (29-1, 22 KO) has established himself as one of the top players in the 147-pound talent class when he defeated Danny Garcia in the March 2017 unification bout , he won the WBA Championship and then added the WBC belt to his collection in the bout. The victory over Garcia was a fight that made Thurman a true elite welterweight after the big win over Sean Potter.

That was nearly five years ago.

Thurman has only found himself in the ring twice since the Garcia fight. The first was shoulder surgery in May 2017. Then a planned January 2018 date was never together, and a May 2018 date broke down with a “severe bruise” on Thurman’s hand. Thurman finally returns in January 2019 with some tweaks to Joseto Lopez as Thurman’s showdown with IBF champ Errol Spence Jr. is on topic future.

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While Spencer’s fight didn’t come together, Thurman did win the biggest fight of his career. Thurman faced off against the legendary Manny Pacquiao in a July 2019 showdown that saw the Filipino legend win by a split decision.

Given the first loss of his career and more lingering physical issues, Thurman has not played professionally since losing to Pacquiao, and he has to answer about multiple long-term layoffs, ring rust and his The question of whether they still have what it takes to be an elite fighter in one of the sport’s deepest divisions.

Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) is adding depth to the division, moving up from junior welterweight. Like Thurman, Barrios is coming off his first loss of his career, a June 2021 battle with Gervonta Davis, where Barrios was blocked late in the 11th round. The loss cost Barrios his second WBA title at 140 pounds.

Barrios is 7 years younger and 3 inches taller than Thurman, but he is thin and, despite having an advantage in height and reach, he is not as large as his opponents.

So, Thurman’s question is whether time and rust have knocked him out of the welterweight elite, and Barrios’ question is whether he’s a welterweight.

Barrios showed every ounce of his punch against Davis. He acclimated Davis in the early rounds, used his tentacles effectively against the shorter Davis, and accumulated some front rounds. Davis eventually solved the conundrum, turning the situation around with his mighty force, repeatedly knocking Barrios down, though Barrios never stopped getting up to fight back until the referee called the game off.

The guts Barrios showed in Davis’ fight, and willingness to fight one of the most important power fighters in the sport, could mean a loss to Davis than almost anything Barrios competed in. Winning in other games is more valuable at the moment. That’s likely what makes him the B-side of the pay-per-view card against the returning former champion.

Thurman vs. Barry Oscar, odds

Caesars Sportsbook Odds

prophecy

There are so many different angles at play in this fight that it’s hard to really zero in on one obvious favorite. If it was Thurman at his peak five years ago, it’s easy to say he blew Barrios out in a fun fight that wasn’t halfway there. But this wasn’t Thurman’s prime, the last time he was on a long hiatus, he showed a bit of rust against Joseto Lopez, and he was picked for the same reasons that Barrios was picked here. The reasons are largely the same. Barrios is younger and has a big clout advantage, but he’s not necessarily a “big man” regardless of measurable factors, and he’s closing out a fight where he was picked from a bantamweight The fighters came up with repeated knockouts, and Thurman had a powerful welterweight. That said, Thurman has significant strength for welterweight, as his history of elbow injuries hasn’t affected his ability to really thump as hard as he used to. One thing that stands out is that Barrios will fight every second he’s in the ring. He has good hand speed, will throw punches in a row, and throw punches, all with a fuel tank to support his ability to keep doing that until the end of the fight. That seems like a pretty bad recipe for a fighter who has only fought two fights in nearly 60 months. Barrios has played 10 games since the beginning of 2017. Thurman played three games.Even if you can say Thurman, all the ingredients are there should win. Pick: Mario Barrios via UD