Sherdog’s Weekend Boxing Preview

Saturday's main event. #BrookDeLuca pic.twitter.com/cInNdzel2q

— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) February 6, 2020

A rundown of the main boxing schedule for the weekend of Feb. 7-8. Showtime and Dazn have the weekend on lockdown of the matches that matter most.

WHAT: Kell Brook vs. Mark DeLuca
WHEN: Feb. 8
HOW TO WATCH: Dazn, 2 p.m. ET

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Kell Brook was once thought of as arguably the most dangerous welterweight in the world, or at least the one guy with whom the rest of the best at 147 pounds didn’t want to trifle. The Brit is a very strong fighter on the inside and he’s got a tricky style. However, when he stepped up two weight classes to fight Gennady Golovkin for the latter’s middleweight crown – losing via TKO 5 – and then being stopped by fellow welterweight Errol Spence Jr. via 11th round knockout, the boxing world seemingly gave up on “Special K.” Brook (38-2, 26 KOs) has since reeled off back-to-back wins and now faces Mark DeLuca (24-1, 13 KOs). The American hasn’t beaten anybody noteworthy just yet and this is by far DeLuca’s biggest test to date. This match is more or less a showcase fight for Brook, to see if he’s still a credible force in the Sweet Science. In the event that he obliterates the once-beaten DeLuca, his name will still be floating around as a possible foe for the best at welterweight and junior middleweight. Also on the card, which will be streamed live from Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England, is the IBF featherweight eliminator between Kid Galahad (26-1, 15 KOs) and Claudio Marrero (24-3, 17 KOs).

WHAT: Gary Russell Jr. vs. Tugstsogt Nyambayar
WHEN: Feb. 8
HOW TO WATCH: Showtime, 9 p.m. ET

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: It’s been almost a full year since Gary Russell Jr. (30-1, 18 KOs) last fought, but the reigning WBC featherweight champion should be in top form against the unbeaten Tugstsogt Nyambayar when they clash at PPL Center in Allentown, Pa. Russell lost his WBO 126-pound strap to Vasiliy Lomachenko six years ago and has been tearing up everybody since, snatching up his current world title four years back and has defended it three times. One of the best fighters in the world, it’s a great chance to see Russell in action, even if it’s against Nyambayar (11-0, 9 KOs), an unknown from Mongolia. If that’s not enough to pique fight fans’ interest, the co-feature will see former world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (19-1, 13 KOs) taking on Liborio Solis (30-5-1, 14 KOs), a fellow former world champ, for the vacant WBA bantamweight crown.