After an explosive win in his last contest, WBA Super Featherweight champion Alberto Machado (21-0, 17 KOs) will be looking to impress once again.
He will get that opportunity against Andrew Cancio (19-4-2, 14 KOs) in what will be his first crack at a world title. The contest will be taking place tonight, Saturday, February 9, 2019, at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.
Machado has always been an impressive fighter. Not only does he possess one-punch knockout power, but standing at 5’10” he is abnormally tall for the division. Since hooking up with hall-of-fame trainer Freddie Roach, he has seemingly taken his game to the next level.
Cancio will have a monumental task ahead of him. He will have a disadvantage in just about every category imaginable. Cancio does have a few things he can rely on and that is his experience.
In 2016 he shared the ring with Joseph Diaz. Although he lost that bout by ninth-round stoppage he did make Diaz work for the victory.
Following that loss, Cancio took off close to two years. Since his long break he has came back rejuvenated. Cancio has won both of his come back fights in dominant fashion.
Tonight will be a much bigger test. Although Machado typically ends fights early, he usually inflicts a ton of punishment on his opponent before ending the night. A win for Machado is to be expected, but his performance will be closely watched and compared to his peers.
Gervonta Davis, who also holds the WBA Super Featherweight title (Regular version), will be defending his title in Carson, California at the Dignity Health Sports Park.
Davis will be looking to make a statement of his own tonight. Machado believes he is the best in the division and will be looking to win tonight in a big way.