Tonight’s PBC show’s main event seems prospect Omar Figueroa Jr. (25-0-1, 18 KOs) try to raise his profile taking on veteran Antonio DeMarco (31-5-1, 23 KOs).
The undercard gives Chris Arreola (36-4-1, 31 KOs) a chance to make up for the snooze-fest he put forward back in July against Fred Kassi. He’ll have his work cut out for him against Travis Kauffman (30-1, 22 KOs).
As usual, scroll on down for the live blog or keep reading for preview information.
First, here’s the rundown of the entire card from ESPN.
At San Antonio (PBC on NBC/NBC Sports Net): Omar Figueroa vs. Antonio DeMarco, 12 rounds, junior middleweights; Chris Arreola vs. Travis Kauffman, 12 rounds, heavyweights; Victor Ortiz vs. Gilberto Sanchez Leon, 10 rounds, welterweights; Terrell Gausha vs. Said El Harrak, 10 rounds, middleweights; Hugo Centeno vs. Josue Obando, 10 rounds, middleweights; Brandon Figueroa vs. Francisco Muro, 4 rounds, bantamweights; Marrio Barrios vs. Manuel Vides, 8 rounds, junior lightweights; Justin DeLoach vs. Santos Benavides, 6 rounds, junior middleweights; Semajay Thomas vs. Farkhad Sharipov, 4 rounds, welterweights; Rickey Edwards vs. Ariel Paez, 6 rounds, lightweights; Lanell Bellows vs. Michael Gbenga, 8 rounds, super middleweights; Adam Lopez vs. Eric Aiken, 4 rounds, junior featherweights; Javier Rodriguez vs. Alejandro Moreno, 4 rounds, junior featherweights; Steve Hall vs. Adam Ealons, 4 rounds, junior welterweights; Brandon Chalker vs. Rudy Zamora, 4 rounds, junior featherweights
And here’s the main event preview from PBC’s website.
With a punch output almost as outsized as his native state of Texas, 140-pound dynamo Omar Figueroa Jr. (25-0-1, 18 KOs) is like caffeine incarnate, his fights more action-packed than a late-night kung fu marathon.
Figueroa will face a willing dance partner December 12 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, where he’ll go toe to toe with former 135-pound champ Antonio DeMarco (31-5-1, 23 KOs), a battle-tested veteran who lives up to his Mexican warrior heritage and then some.
Figueroa, too, once held a title at 135 pounds, earning it in a sensational slugfest against Nihito Arakawa in July 2013. In a brutal war of attrition, Figueroa landed a stunning, punishing 450 power shots, fourth most all time in any weight class according to Compubox, savaging his opponent in a brutal Fight of the Year candidate.
After twice defending that title, Figueroa moved to 140 pounds to face former two-division champ Ricky Burns in May, earning a unanimous decision victory in an explosive back-and-forth contest that furthered Figueroa’s rep as one of boxing’s most exciting fighters.
Now, in DeMarco, Figueroa faces another test as stiff as his opponent’s jab.
DeMarco distinguished himself early in the rough-and-tumble Mexican boxing ranks, earning an interim 135-pound title against Jose Alfaro in October 2009 before losing his next fight against the late, lights-out Venezuelan power puncher Edwin Valero.
Two years later, however, DeMarco would become 135-pound champ again following a sensational come-from-behind victory against the lightning-quick Jorge Linares, stopping him in the 11th round. DeMarco would then go on to blast John Molina Jr., knocking him out in Round 1 in their September 2012 tilt, before losing his title to Adrien Broner two months later.
After rebounding from that defeat with a trio of victories, DeMarco would challenge for a 140-pound title against Jessie Vargas in November 2014, losing a unanimous decision, followed by a loss to top contender Rances Barthelemy in June.
Pondering retirement for a time following the loss to Barthelemy, DeMarco has since decided to fight on—and a fight, Omar Figueroa will give him.
The fight’s on NBC at 8:30 p.m. Watch it with me.
