Former welterweight champion Keith Thurman will re-enter the ring for the first time in well over two years on the first weekend of February. Thurman (29-1 with 22 knockouts) will take on former super lightweight champion Mario Barrios in Las Vegas the week before Super Bowl Sunday. Barrios (26-1 with 17 knockouts) is looking to make a name for himself after going up a weight class, so this should be a great fight. Both Thurman and Barrios are coming off losses too as Thurman lost to the great Manny Pacquiao in July 2019, while Barrios lost to Gervonta Davis back in June.
Keith Thurman and Mario Barrios will both look to get back on the winning foot on Saturday, February 5, 2022, at Michelob Ultra Arena in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Paradise, Nevada. This fight will be available through FOX PPV with the main card slated to start at 9 p.m. ET.
When: Saturday, February 5, 2022
Where: Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada
Why: Welterweight fight
Keith Thurman vs Mario Barrios Betting Odds
Keith Thurman -185
Mario Barrios +146
Total Rounds Over 10.5 -210 / Under 10.5 +165
Although he hasn’t fought since July 2019, Keith Thurman is a favorite by the boxing betting odds over one-loss Mario Barrios. If you are unfamiliar with betting on boxing, a $185 wager would return a $100 profit on Thurman. Meanwhile, a $100 bet on Barrios would earn $146 in profit if the underdog were to pull off the upset. Oddsmakers are expecting this fight to go the distance too according to the total rounds odds.
As the fight nears, there will be decision betting too. You will be able to bet on whether the fight is decided by KO, TKO, or decision, and you can bet on which boxer will win the fight in that fashion as well.
Keith Thurman vs Mario Barrios Preview
Keith Thurman has been one of the most exciting boxers in the sport for over a decade. Thurman has incredible power for a welterweight and knocked out his first eight opponents in the first round. He didn’t go the distance until his 11th fight, and he scored knockouts in 18 of his first 19 fights in total.
Thurman won the WBO-NABO junior middleweight belt by fourth-round TKO over Carlos Quintana almost a decade ago. A subsequent victory over Jan Zaveck set up a fight for the WBA interim welterweight title, and he defeated Diego Chaves by knockout in the 10th round to earn the strap. Thurman successfully defended the interim title three times before the interim tag was taken off, and he was declared the WBA welterweight champion in January 2015.
He took down Robert Guerrero in his first title defense, and Thurman had little trouble beating Luis Collazo or Shawn Porter either. Danny Garcia presented a tough challenge though, and Thurman had to settle for a split decision victory against Garcia in order to win the WBC welterweight belt. Thurman took almost two years off before entering the ring again and won a majority decision against Joselito Lopez. His last fight resulted in a loss to Manny Pacquiao though.
Inactivity has been a concern for Thurman during the last five years. He has only entered the ring twice since his win over Garcia in March 2017, and the fact that his last three fights have ended in either split decisions or majority decisions doesn’t invite a lot of confidence either.
Mario Barrios doesn’t have the same pedigree as Thurman, but he has been more active while having fresher legs at just 26 years old. Barrios doesn’t have the same raw power as his opponent, yet he is a formidable foe whose only blemish came at the hands of 26-0 Gervonta Davis.
We saw Barrios win the WBA Inter-Continental welterweight belt three-and-a-half years ago with a win over Jose Roman, and he claimed the WBA super lightweight title on September 2019 with a unanimous decision win over Batyr Akhmedov. Barrios successfully defended the belt with a sixth-round TKO of Ryan Karl on Halloween in 2020 before losing the belt to Davis last June.
Barrios has a two-inch reach advantage on Thurman, but he is naturally lighter than the favorite. The underdog is the best bet though considering his reach, his youth, and Thurman’s extended absence from the ring.
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