No. 1-rated contender Mikey Garcia will risk his undefeated record, his NABF and NABO featherweight titles and his rating when he faces two-time world championship challenger Bernabe Concepcion on Saturday, March 10, at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Garcia-Concepcion featherweight rumble will be the co-main event to the Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Orlando Salido World Featherweight Championship rematch.
Both fights will be televised live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.) Garcia and Concepcion boast a combined record of 58-4-1 (40 KOs) — a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 69%.
Garcia (27-0, 23 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif. makes his Puerto Rico debut having won 11 of his past 12 bouts by knockout. Considered to be one of boxing’s top young prospects, Garcia, 24, returns to the ring fresh from a career-best year, knocking out previously undefeated contender Matt Remillard in the 10th round last March to capture his NABF and NABO title belts.
He followed that with four-round knockout title defense victories of Rafael Guzman and Juan Carlos Martinez in June and October, respectively. Guzman and Martinez had a combined record of 47-14-1 when they fought Garcia. Trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and co-managed by his brother Robert Garcia, the former IBF junior lightweight champion, Garcia is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBA, No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the WBO.
Concepcion (34-4-1, 17 KOs), of Rizal, Philippines, is no stranger to Puerto Rico. On July 10, 2010, he traveled to Juanma Lopez’s homeland to challenge him for his WBO featherweight title. It quickly turned into a firefight that had the entire crowd on its feet. After suffering a first-round knockdown, Concepcion returned the favor in the same round courtesy of his vaunted right hook leaving the defending champion dazed. The warriors continued exchanging blows in round two with Concepcion being sent to the canvas two more times before the referee stopped it.
The power-punching Concepcion, 24, is co-managed by pound-for-pound superstar Manny Pacquiao. He returns to the ring fresh from winning the vacant WBC Continental Americas featherweight title in October, out-pointing Aaron Garcia.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with PR Best Boxing, Zanfer Promotions, and the city of San Juan, remaining tickets, priced at $400, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, can be purchased at www.tcpr.com or by phone charge by calling Ticket Center at (787) 792-5000.
