Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios: Undercard update & full details

Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios

Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, USA – 5 February 2022

Welterweight contender Abel Ramos will square off against Luke Santamaria in a 10-round bout that headlines PBC action live on FOX and FOX Deportes on Saturday, February 5 from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

The FOX broadcast begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and features all-action super lightweight contenders Ryan “Cowboy” Karl and Omar “El Relámpago” Juarez battling in the 10-round in co-main event.

The FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by former unified welterweight world champion Keith “One Time’’ Thurman battling former super lightweight world champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios, and also features four-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto’’ Santa Cruz taking on Keenan “Bedo’’ Carbajal in the co-main event. Plus, Jesus “Mono’’ Ramos clashes with Vladimir Hernandez in a 10-round super welterweight match and two-division champion Luis Nery will battle unbeaten Carlos Castro in the 10-round pay-per-view opener.

Abel Ramos was originally scheduled to take on Josesito Lopez as part of the FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event, but Lopez was injured in training camp and forced to withdraw. Jesus Ramos vs. Hernandez replaces the Abel Ramos vs. Josesito Lopez bout on the pay-per-view lineup.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available at axs.com.

Ramos (27-4-2, 21 KOs) is part of a boxing family out of Casa Grande, Arizona, which includes his nephew, rising undefeated contender Jesus Ramos. The 30-year-old Ramos has built a reputation as a hardnosed boxer who doesn’t back down from a fight and gives as good as he gets. He turned the tables on Omar Figueroa, Jr. when he went toe-to-toe and forced Figueroa to quit on his stool in his last fight on May 1. He also owns a split decision defeat to welterweight world champion Yordenis Ugas and showed a flair for the dramatic when he scored a TKO victory over Bryant Perrella in the waning seconds of their fight in 2020.

The 24-year-old Santamaría (12-2-1, 7 KOs) steps into the ring after earning a unanimous decision over former two-division champion Devon Alexander last August. Santamaria had previously dropped a decision to top prospect Paul Kroll in October 2020, following an August 2020 triumph over veteran contender Mykal Fox that saw him drop Fox in round one of their battle. The Garden Grove, California native also owns a decision over Willie Jones and a split draw against Marquis Taylor in his 2019 contests. Santamaría was unbeaten in 10 fights since his first loss before facing Kroll, with his only other defeat coming via a four-round decision in his third pro bout in 2015.

Known for his action packed style, Karl (19-3, 12 KOs) bounced back from a 2020 defeat to former world champion Mario Barrios in August, as he bested Edgar Ramirez by unanimous decision in their eight-round bout. The 30-year-old Milano, Texas native has won four of his last five fights overall and owns a decision victory over Kareem Martin on top of a knockout over Kevin Watts to avenge one of his losses.

The 22-year-old Juarez (12-1, 5 KOs) returned to the win column in September, dropping Jairo Lopez on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Juarez bounced back after losing a narrow majority decision to All Rivera in a thrilling bout in June 2021. A native of Brownsville, Texas, Juarez was a standout amateur who made waves outside of the ring by dedicating himself to giving back to the state’s youth through motivational speaking and received recognition from the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives for his efforts.

In non-televised action unbeaten super lightweights Kent Cruz (16-0-1, 10 KOs) and Enriko Gogokhia (13-0, 8 KOs) meet in an eight-round duel, lightweight prospect Anthony Cuba (2-0-1, 1 KO) takes on fellow unbeaten Jose Gonzalez (3-0, 3 KOs) in a six-round bout and unbeaten welterweight John Rincon (5-0, 2 KOs) competes in a six-round attraction.

Rounding out the lineup will be the sons of former two-time world champion Fernando Vargas entering the ring, as Fernando Vargas Jr. (4-0, 4 KOs) steps in for a middleweight duel, while Amado Vargas (3-0, 2 KOs) competes in a four-round featherweight bout.

Jesús “Mono’’ Ramos Clashes With Vladimir Hernández on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday, February 5 From Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

Rising unbeaten star Jesús “Mono” Ramos will take on super welterweight contender Vladimir Hernandez in a 10-round showdown on the undercard of the FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event on Saturday, February 5 from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay.

Josesito Lopez was injured in training and forced to withdraw from his bout against Abel Ramos in a pay-per-view attraction. Jesús Ramos vs. Hernandez replaces the Abel Ramos vs. Josesito Lopez bout on the pay-per-view lineup.

The FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by former unified welterweight world champion Keith “One Time’’ Thurman battling former super lightweight world champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios, and also features four-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto’’ Santa Cruz taking on Keenan “Bedo’’ Carbajal in the co-main event. Plus, two-division champion Luis Nery will battle unbeaten Carlos Castro in the 10-round pay-per-view opener.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available at axs.com.

Ramos (17-0, 14 KOs), the nephew of welterweight contender Abel Ramos, has paved his way to stardom with highlight-reel KOs, but has shown his ability to outbox opponents in his last two fights. After winning a unanimous decision over Javier Molina in May 2021, Ramos most recently dominated Brian Mendoza en route to another unanimous decision in September on FOX. Prior to those fights, the 20-year-old southpaw had scored five-straight knockout victories.

he 32-year-old Hernandez (13-4, 6 KOs) has revitalized his career during his current three-fight winning streak, most recently earning a split-decision over former unified champion Julian Williams in an October 2021 action fight. Hernandez’s previous outing had seen him upset longtime contender Alfredo Angulo in August 2020, with a July 2020 decision over Aaron Coley kicking off the run. Originally from Durango, Mexico, Hernandez now fights out of Stockton, California as he looks to spring another upset on February 5.

Mario Barrios training camp quotes for Feb.5th fight with Keith Thurman

Former super lightweight world champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios shared insights into his training camp and discussed making his welterweight debut before he squares off against former unified welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman on Saturday, February 5 in the FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View main event from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

(Photo credit: Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions)

The pay-per-view telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and also features four-division champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz dueling Keenan “Bedo” Carbajal in the co-main event of the four-fight lineup.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available at axs.com.

The 26-year-old Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) will make his welterweight debut following an impressive run at super lightweight that saw him capture the WBA world title and win his first nine fights in the division, including eight by knockout. Barrios lost the title to three-division champion Gervonta Davis in June in an exciting action fight on pay-per-view.

Here is what the San Antonio, Texas native Barrios had to say leading into his showdown against Thurman:

On his recent training camp:

“I’m having an incredible training camp. I’ve stayed in shape since my last fight and headed to the Bay Area to start camp with Virgil Hunter about three weeks ago. I’ve now moved camp to Las Vegas where I’ll finish off that last couple of weeks until the fight. My sparring has gotten me into the perfect condition and I know that I’ll be ready for war come fight night.”

On his upcoming matchup with Keith Thurman:

“Although Thurman has been out of the ring for a couple of years, I know he’s been training hard for this fight and will be in great shape. He’s been one of the best fighters of our era and I expect him to be at his very best. I know what needs to be done on my end and I believe I can execute the game plan we have in place. We both like to let our hands go, so fans can definitely expect to see an explosive fight on February 5.”

On moving up to the welterweight division:

“Making the move to welterweight is going to be very important for me at this stage in my career. I’ve grown into my man strength, and it has been difficult making 140 pounds for these last few years. The extra seven pounds is going to make a tremendous difference in my weight cut, because I’m still big for this weight as well. In this fight we’re going to see if my power comes up with me. I’m confident that it will.”

On fighting on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View:

“I’m grateful to my whole team for giving me this opportunity to fight on pay-per-view once again. I think I’ve proven myself to the fans that I’m a warrior in the ring who will always give a great performance. This fight will be no different, as I’m going into the ring to lay punishment on my opponent. Everyone should order this fight now, because I don’t think this one is going the distance.”

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