Light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley will flirt with the welterweight division this Saturday when he takes on the unbeaten Luis Carlos Abregu in Rancho Mirage, CA. The fight can be seen on HBO at 9:45pm ET beginning with a light middleweight undercard bout between Alfredo Angulo and Joachim Alcine.
Timothy Bradley vs. Luis Carlos Abregu
Money Line: Bradley -900; Abregu +550
Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs) has asserted himself as the top light welterweight in the world. With all the options at 140 lbs, Bradley has opted to keep busy and not wait for an opening against a top challenger in his own weight class. Bradley is moving up to welterweight to face Luis Carlos Abregu in a fight that if Bradley wins, will not truly reflect the magnitude of the victory versus the risk taken in stepping up to 147 to face Abregu. Bradley’s chin has been suspect in the past, something that is an obvious concern when moving up in weight. It will be Bradley’s third consecutive fight in Rancho Mirage, California, an obvious advantage for the Palm Springs native. Bradley faces a stern test this Saturday. Fans should embrace his willingness to fight as it’s become a rarity amongst many champions today.
Luis Carlos Abregu (29-0, 23 KOs) is facing the biggest opportunity of his career in this fight. It could very well be a Carlos Baldomir Moment for the Argentine. A win over Bradley would catapult him to bigger fights immediately and would prove his current undefeated record is no fluke. Abregu can punch but he’s no stranger to the canvas himself. He went down in his last fight, a February tilt with Richard Gutierrez, before earning a ten-round unanimous decision. Bradley is a huge step up in class for Abregu and he most certainly needs a knockout to win in Bradley’s hometown. With both men looking to make a statement, expect an action-packed start to the fight. It would behoove Abregu to work the body of Bradley early in order to soften him up and slow him down for the later rounds.
Staff Predictions
Trent: The safe pick is Bradley by decision. The fun pick is Abregu by KO. As awesome as it would be to say that I called the Carlos Baldomir Moment with Abregu, I’m just too chicken to go out on a limb and pick the upset for the sake of picking the upset. I’m conservative by nature. I see a fun start to the fight with someone hitting the canvas within the first four rounds. I’ll say that Bradley will be the one to put Abregu down early and will bank rounds as his confidence builds. Look for Abregu to chase Bradley throughout the fight, but for Bradley to be too elusive to catch up to. Bradley by decision, 118-110.
Corey: Like Bradley, Abregu is unbeaten, but he’s shown a lot of vulnerability, having to fight through cuts and climb off the canvas on several occasions. This, combined with the fact that he’s the naturally bigger man in this fight, might be enough to see him through to the final bell. But he won’t beat Bradley, who will get in and out on the slower Abregu all night, piling up points and probably scoring a knockdown or two along the way. Abregu will be game and try to fight his way back into it, but Bradley, inspired by his hometown crowd, will pour it on late when Abregu has little left and get a stoppage in round 11.
