It’s fight week for the biggest combat sports event of the year – Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor. The much hyped boxing fight is finally upon us. Mayweather vs. McGregor airs this Saturday, August 26 with a fight time of 9:00 p.m ET for the PPV, 7:00 p.m. ET for the prelim card on Fox. We’ll have previews of all the action here, starting with the Fox card:
MAYWEATHER vs. MCGREGOR PRELIM CARD
Fox, Sat. August 26, 7:00 p.m. ET
Yordenis Ugas (19-3, 9 KOs) vs. Thomas Dulorme (24-2, 16 KOs)
10 rounds, welterweights (147 lbs)
This was originally scheduled as Dulorme vs. Shawn Porter, but a death in the family caused Porter to withdraw one week ago. That’s a shame, as Porter added a degree of star power to the prelim card. Dulorme is a 27 year old Puerto Rican fighter probably best known for a 2015 loss to Terence Crawford. In that fight, he was winning rounds over the start of the fight, until Crawford flipped a switch and blew him out of the water in round 6. But he showed he’s a good, respectable fighter that night. He also has some strong wins to his name, including Hank Lundy and Karim Mayfield. Ugas is a Cuban Olympian who won Bronze in Beijing in 2008. That pedigree alone tells you he is technically sound, and he impressed earlier this year in a win over Levan Ghvamichava. This may not have Porter, but it’s a solid prelim main event.
Juan Heraldez (12-0, 8 KOs) vs. Jose Miguel Borrego (13-0, 12 KOs)
10 rounds, junior welterweights (140 lbs)
Nice ShoBox style battle here between two undefeated fighters moving up the ranks. Heraldez is 27 years old and turned pro back in 2009 – with those stats you would expect him to be well past 12 pro fights. He’s had a rather start and stop kind of career as a pro, though he does have good amateur experience. Borrego fights out of Mexico and is only 19 years old, 2 years into his pro career. His lone decision win came in his second fight. Earlier this year, he made the move from fighting solely in Mexico to the US fight scene, and he’s 3-0 since, all against decent opposition. Heraldez is a Mayweather fighter, which usually means they have set this fight up for him, but Borrego seems primed to spoil that plan.
Kevin Newman (7-1, 3 KOs) vs. Antonio Hernandez (9-1, 2 KOs)
6 or 8 rounds, super middleweights (168 lbs)
Newman is 25 years old and a 3 year pro. He’s very much in the early stages of his career, mostly taking on clearly overmatched opponents who come in with losing records. He’s only had one decent opponent to date, the then 7-0-1 Pablo Velez, who he defeated in April. Newman is also a part of Mayweather Promotions, so again, expect that the booking here is meant to favor him. Hernandez is 24 years old and has been a pro just a bit longer, but he’s taken the greater step up in competition earlier. In his last fight he may have stepped too far, losing to the 11-1 Kyrone Davis in March. The Davis loss is his only fight since a September 2016 win, which is a concern.
Savannah Marshall (Pro debut) vs. Sydney LeBlanc (4-3-1, 0 KOs)
4 rounds (2 minutes per round), super middleweights (168 lbs)
The story of this fight is Savannah Marshall, a highly decorated UK amateur making an anticipated debut here. Marshall holds an amateur victory over Claressa Shields, and is to date the only boxer to ever defeat Shields. An eventual rematch between the two, now in the pro ranks, would be exciting. LeBlanc is a late addition to the card, as Marshall’s original opponent was forced out. LeBlanc’s career is divided into two very clear halves. From her 2011 debut through 2013 she went 4-0-1. Then she stepped away from the game for over 3 years, only returning this April. She’s 0-3 since, including a loss to Shields, and a decision loss just 2 weeks ago.
Join Bloody Elbow Saturday night for live fight night coverage of Mayweather vs. McGregor.
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