Ryan Garcia set to begin next chapter of his career

FIGHT WEEK

Ryan Garcia is scheduled to face Oscar Duarte on Saturday in Houston, his first fight since he was stopped by Gervonta Davis in seven rounds in April.

RYAN GARCIA (23-1, 19 KOs)
vs. OSCAR DUARTE (26-1-1, 21 KOs)

• Date: Saturday, Dec. 2
• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
• Where: Toyota Center, Houston
• TV/Stream: DAZN
• Division: Junior welterweight (140 pounds)
• At stake: No major titles
• Odds: Garcia 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
• Also on the card: Ohara Davies vs. Ismael Barroso, junior welterweights; Floyd Schofield vs. Ricardo Torres, lightweights; Shane Mosley Jr. vs. Joshua Conley, middleweights
• Prediction: Garcia KO 7
• Background: Garcia will be fighting for the first time since he was knocked out by Gervonta Davis at 135 pounds in one of the biggest fights of the year on April 22 in Las Vegas. Davis stopped him with a single body shot in the seventh round. The quick-handed power puncher from Los Angeles will now be fighting at a more natural 140, at which he’ll try to prove that he’s a genuine threat to talented titleholders Teofimo Lopez, Subriel Matias, Rolando Romero and Regis Prograis. This will be Garcia’s third fight as a full-fledged junior welterweight. The 25-year-old is ranked at 140 by all four major sanctioning bodies, No. 4 by the WBA. Duarte is a capable boxer with heavy hands. The 28-year-old Mexican has won 11 consecutive fights since he lost a split decision to Adrian Estrella in 2019, with all the victories coming by knockout. However, he is moving up from 135 for the fight and is taking a significant step up in opposition against Garcia. He’s the WBO’s No. 9-ranked lightweight.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

WEDNESDAY

• Orlando Gonzalez vs. Jorge Castaneda, junior lightweights, Plant City, Florida (ProBox TV)

FRIDAY

• Uwel Hernandez vs. Alexi Rivera, super middleweights, Panama City, Panama (ESPN+)

SATURDAY

• Michael Conlan vs. Jordan Gill, featherweights, Belfast, Northern Ireland (DAZN)
• Ian Green vs. Vaughn Alexander, middleweights, Miami (FITE)
• Kevin Lele Sadjo vs. Giovanni De Carolis, junior middleweights, Marseille, France
  (DAZN)
• Felix Sturm vs. Sukru Altay, light heavyweights, Ludwigsburg, Germany (DAZN)