Bernardo Pilatti 10y

Garcia, Prescott set for showdown on FNF

Expect plenty of action when Roberto Garcia puts his seven-fight win streak on the line against rugged veteran Breidis Prescott in the main event of ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" from Chicago's UIC Pavilion.

Garcia (35-3, 23 KOs) enters the 10-round welterweight bout (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET) unbeaten since his 2010 decision loss to Antonio Margarito at junior middleweight. A native of Mexico who fights out of Texas, Garcia enters just his second fight at welterweight in the last seven years.

He enters Friday's bout fresh off an impressive sixth-round TKO win over Victor Cayo in May on FNF. Before that, Garcia, 34, claimed a split decision over Norberto Gonzalez despite taking the fight on short notice.

Prescott (27-5, 20 KOs), a native of Colombia based in Miami, first made a name for himself in the elite of professional boxing when he knocked out then-unbeaten Amir Khan in the first round of their 2008 bout. Prescott also owns a 2008 victory over current lightweight titlist Richar Abril and came up empty in a fight-of-the-year candidate against Mike Alvarado in 2011.

Friday night's fight features two veterans who appear to be going in different directions in their careers, yet both are desperate for a big win. For Garcia, it would be his ticket to a title shot. For Prescott, who has lost three of his last six bouts, a victory would be the boost he needs to land another big fight.

Garcia will surely be the more aggressive fighter, looking to apply pressure from the start of the fight. Look for him to set the pace by using lateral movements and a high volume of punches with both hands.

Prescott is quicker and more elusive, relying on his jab to establish control. He's also not adverse to trading power shots with either hand.

This has the potential to be an emotional fight with a high volume of punches, and it isn't likely to go the distance. Both boxers have knockout power, although Garcia, given his impressive win streak, is without question the favorite coming in.

In the co-main event, middleweight contender Caleb Truax (23-1-2, 14 KOs) faces Derek Ennis (24-4-1, 13 KOs).

^ Back to Top ^