Report: Keith Thurman To Return Against Mario Barrios In January

Keith Thurman’s return is all but set.

As per ESPN, the former 147-pound champion will return next month when he takes on Mario Barrios in a welterweight bout that headlines a PBC on FOX pay-per-view event taking place January 29.

It will be a welterweight bout. No location is set as of now.

Keith Thurman Returning After Longest Layoff

It will be Thurman’s first fight since suffering a split decision defeat to Manny Pacquiao in July 2019. He lost his WBA welterweight title as a result.

He would go on to have the longest layoff of his career since as his fight with Barrios will mark 30 months since he stepped inside the ring.

He has been eager to return for a while now and has targeted fights with the likes of Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., Jermall Charlo and Gervonta Davis.

“One Time” will have to settle for Barrios who will be making his welterweight debut. Although Barrios competed at super lightweight, he was one of the bigger fighters in the division and will notably be taller than Thurman.

However, Thurman is the natural and bigger welterweight with wins over the likes of Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter to previously hold the WBA and WBC belts.

Barrios suffered his first professional defeat after an 11th-round TKO defeat to Davis back in June.

What do you think of a Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios fight?