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Keith Thurman is set to return to the ring for the first time since 2019. Despite the lengthy layoff, 'One Time' is confident in his return bout against Mario Barrios.
Thurman was recently interviewed by The Schmo this week to talk about his pay-per-view fight against Barrios. The former unified Welterweight World Champion maintained that the Mexican fighter made a mistake in accepting a fight with him. He also noted that he's going to make him regret his confidence during their bout.
Thurman said:
"I'm not going to be able to take away his confidence in a simple staredown. I gotta take it away in the ring. That's what I'm going to do on Saturday night. From round one, from jump street, I'm gonna let him know he took a bite out of something that he cannot chew."
Watch Keith Thurman's interview with The Schmo below:
The fight is a crossroads bout for both men. While Keith Thurman has been out of the ring since 2019, Mario Barrios has been making a big impact inside it.
During Thurman's absence, Barrios captured the WBA (Regular) Super Lightweight title. He lost that championship to Gervonta Davis in June 2021, but was hailed for his performance after giving 'Tank' problems in the fight as a big underdog.
Keith Thurman's last bout was against Manny Pacquaio
Keith Thurman's fight against Mario Barrios is a highly-anticipated bout. However, it will be difficult for 'One Time' to have a better fight than his last in the ring, which was a showdown with Manny Pacquiao.
Their July 2019 bout was seen as one of the greatest of the year. Despite Thurman heading into the bout as a large favorite, 'Pacman' turned back the clock and put on a great performance.
Pacquiao knocked down the WBA (Super) Welterweight Champion in round one and dominated the bout early. Thurman rallied in the middle rounds before 'Pacman' gained a second wind to win the final rounds of the bout. The 43-year-old wound up winning the bout via split decision.
The bout against Mario Barrios is just one step into his comeback run. The former Champion is seeking huge championship fights against Terrance Crawford, Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas with a win on Saturday.
