in

Live Blog: PBC Boxing on FS1 – Santiago vs Ruiz

Santiago takes on Ruiz tonight in Las Vegas.

Boxing is finally back on TV after way too long an absence so even though Premier Boxing Champions is throwing a show full of hobbits at us, we’re going to watch it anyway because we like watching men, even the small kind, punch each other in the head. It’s Toe-to-Toe Tuesday and PBC has brought the little fellas to the ring.

The main event tonight is Alexis Santiago (20-3-1, 8 KOs) against Erik Ruiz (15-4, 6 KOs) in a 10-round main event that we can all probably go ahead and bet will go the distance.

It’s a two-hour show so we’ll probably get two undercards. The primary second-banana fight is Lionell Thomson (16-3, 10 KOs) vs Paul Parker (7-1, 4 KOs) at light heavyweight.

We’ll also likely get the super middleweight fight between Lanell Bellows (14-1, 7 KOs) vs Antowyan Aikens (10-0-1, 1 KO).

Scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for the PBC Press release.

Prefer your boxing served up like a sampler platter, so you can enjoy a little taste of everything? Then you might want to consider clearing your calendar on February 16.

A pugilism feast spread across a variety of weight classes is on tap that night, highlighted by a 118-pound clash between West Coast rivals Alexis Santiago (20-3-1, 8 KOs) and Erik Ruiz (15-4, 6 KOs). In addition to that scheduled 10-round bout, a pair of eight-round contests are on tap, as Lionell Thompson (16-3, 10 KOs) squares off against Paul Parker (7-1, 4 KOs) in a 175-pound brawl, and Lanell Bellows (14-1-1, 7 KOs) faces Antowyan Aikens (10-0-1, 1 KO) in a 168-pound battle.

The trio of fights will be part of Fox Sports 1’s Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays card from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Santiago will bring a nine-fight winning streak into his showdown with Ruiz, having most recently defeated Gustavo Molina via eight-round unanimous decision on October 14 in Glendale, Arizona, not far from the 25-year-old’s home in Phoenix.

Santiago’s current run of success dates back to November 2012, with the most impressive victory coming in February 2014, when he earned a 10-round unanimous decision over Hanzel Martinez, who was 20-1 entering the fight.

Ruiz is coming off a very active, yet up-and-down 2015, when he lost three of five fights. However, he capped his year on November 20 by winning an eight-round split decision over previously undefeated Roy Tapia. The 24-year-old Oxnard, California, resident entered last year 13-1.

Like Santiago, Thompson most recently fought on October 14 in Glendale, Arizona, where he scored a second-round stoppage of Thomas Hanshaw in his only fight last year. The 30-year-old native of Buffalo, New York, has won four of his last five contests, the only blemish being a split-decision loss to unbeaten Radivoje Kalajdzic in March 2014.

In Parker, Thompson will be facing an opponent who is coming off his first defeat, a third-round TKO in June at the hands of unbeaten Vyacheslav Shabranskyy. In that bout, the 30-year-old Parker dropped Shabranskyy twice in Round 1 but was unable to finish him off.

Bellows has ripped off eight consecutive victories, with four of those coming last year. The most recent was an eight-round unanimous decision over Michael Gbenga on December 12. The 30-year-old Las Vegas resident figures to have the home crowd on his side against Aikens, who will make the trek from Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Aikens started his career 10-0 before fighting Tahir Thomas to a six-round draw in his last outing on November 20 in Philadelphia.

The fight is on Fox Sports 1 at 9 p.m. It’s Tuesday. What else have you got to do?

Written by Adam Greene

Adam Greene is a writer and photographer based out of East Tennessee. His work has appeared on Cracked.com, in USA Today, the Associated Press, the Chicago Cubs Vineline Magazine, AskMen.com and many other publications.

Get More Sports: Bellator 149 Preview

Maybank Championship Malaysia Preview