San Antonio welterweight defends his WBC interim welterweight title vs. Fabian Maidana of Argentina on Saturday night in Las Vegas
On a cool December night 11 years ago, Marcos Maidana put his machismo and tough-guy persona on display at the Alamodome . For 12 rounds, Maidana used his genuine dislike for his opponent to bully and batter trash-talking Adrien Broner , a three-division champion, and shocked the crowd of 11,000 with a convincing upset victory.
The fight turned the Argentine warrior into a household name in the United States. It was a night Mario Barrios, then a wide-eyed teenager one fight into his pro career, would never forget. “It was exciting being there in person,” Barrios recalls. “The crowd was going crazy. I remember the beating Maidana put on Broner that night.” More than a decade later, Barrios gets set to take on Maidana’s younger brother, Fabian. The two are scheduled to meet Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in a 12-round bout for Barrios’ WBC interim welterweight title. It’s the co-main event on an 11-bout, PBC Pay-Per-View card headlined by undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez defending his WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts against undefeated Jaime Munguia in a classic Cinco de Mayo, Mexico vs. Mexico matchup. Barrios originally was expected to take on hard-hitting Jaron “Boots” Ennis of Philadelphia, but Ennis, one of boxing’s hottest stars, went another direction by signing a multi-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing. Premier Boxing Champions matchmakers then turned to Maidana. Nine years younger than Marcos, Fabian Maidana has kept a much lower profile than his more celebrated brother and, at 31, is still attempting to emerge from his shadow. In addition to Broner, Marcos Maidana fought the likes of Amir Khan, Victor Ortiz, Erik Morales and Floyd Mayweather Jr. during his 10-year career. Fabian has been a B-level fighter fighting B-level competition since turning pro in 2014. “My brother has left an indelible mark in boxing, no doubt about that,” said Fabian Maidana, who reportedly is not close to his older sibling. “I’ve come here to leave my own mark: to win, to give the fans a great fight and to start my own chapter.” He’ll need to be on top of his game. Not only has he fought tougher competition, but Barrios is the naturally bigger fighter, although Maidana maintains a longer reach. And with trainer Bob Santos in his corner, having replaced Virgil Hunter, Barrios, 28, seems to be hitting his stride as a welterweight. He’s 2-0 since consecutive losses to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman, including a career-defining win over Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas in September in which Barrios controlled the fight with his much-improved jab in a one-sided win. Maidana is the type of fighter Barrios can look good against. And with Terence Crawford, who owns the outright WBC belt, moving up to 154 pounds to fight Israil Madrimov on Aug. 3, Barrios is looking to move to the head of the class within the welterweight division. Still, he remains wary of the younger Maidana, who has 16 of his 22 wins by knockout. “We know he’s coming from the Maidana fighting family, so we know he’ll be at his best,” said Barrios, who’s fighting on a Canelo Alvarez card for the second time. “He’s trying to step out from his brother’s shadow and I just have to make sure I’m on top of everything.” Barrios, who earlier announced on Instagram that his partner, Omayra Figueroa, the sister of Brandon Figueroa , and former WBC lightweight champion Omar Figueroa Jr., both of Weslaco, is pregnant with the couple’s first child, noted the Maidana brothers’ differences in style. “I think Fabian is a more patient and relaxed fighter, which makes him dangerous,” Barrios said. “He’s different in that regard but he’s a very powerful puncher like his brother.”
Matchroom Boxing Marcos IBF PBC WBA WBO Fabian Maidana Fabian Marcos Maidana Canelo Alvarez Jaron ``Boots'' Ennis Adrien Broner Terence Crawford Omar Figueroa Jr. Bob Santos Erik Morales Victor Ortiz Amir Khan Jaime Munguia Floyd Mayweather Jr. Israil Madrimov Omayra Figueroa Brandon Figueroa Virgil Hunter Yordenis Ugas Keith Thurman Gervonta Davis Mario Barrios San Antonio Argentina Las Vegas Alamodome United States Mexico Mexico Philadelphia T-Mobile Arena Weslaco Cuba Cinco De Mayo Pay-Per-View Instagram
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