PBC Announced Keith Thurman February Return For Vegas

On Tuesday afternoon, PBC and Fox Sports made official that former WBA World Welterweight Keith Thurman will return to action for the first time in over two years as part of a February 5th pay per view in Las Vegas.

Thurman, who suffered his first pro loss in his last fight with legend Manny Pacquiao, will battle Mario Barrios in a 12 round bout at the Mandalay Bay, 

Feb 5th I’m back! It’s grind time! Stacked card feb. 5th with be a great night on boxing for all fight fans it’s showtime 2022! pic.twitter.com/Y6OdNQJSgz

— Keith Thurman Jr. (@keithfthurmanjr) December 19, 2021

“It’s been a long time coming for my return to the ring, and I can’t wait to compete again,” Thurman said in a PBC press release.. “In 2022, I will remind the world of boxing that Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman is a fighter not to forget. I look not to the past nor to the future, I’m back now, and I’m ready to fight. I dream big, and now is the time to make that dream a reality. Get ready, because I’m putting in the work to put on a show against Mario Barrios on February 5 on pay-per-view. It’s begun and my time is now.”

The 33 year old Thurman has been inactive for 30 months after Pacquiao won a split decision taking his world championship. Thurman, 29-1, 22 KOs had fought six months earlier in a non-title tuneup that came after another near two year layoff due injuries. That means that by the time he gets to the Vegas ring and Barrios, Thurman will have only fought twice in almost five years.

As for Barrios, he suffered his first pro loss in his last fight, as well. That was an 11th round TKO stoppage at the hands of Gervonta Davis in June. At 27-1, Barrios also previously held the secondary WBA 140 lb. title before the loss to Davis.

“I’m excited to be making my welterweight debut against a great fighter and former world champion like Keith Thurman,” said Barrios in the release. “A lot of fighters wouldn’t take this fight, but that’s why I wanted it. Both of us like to throw a lot of bombs and I believe this will be an all-out war.”

In the February 5th co-feature, four-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz will battle Keenan Carbajal in a 10-round super featherweight match. Like Barrios, Santa Cruz hasn’t fought since Davis kayoed him with a booming uppercut in their October 2020 battle.

However, Santa Cruz has been a high volume punching successful world champ, and looks to gain some momentum after over a year of inactivity.