Timothy Bradley / Photo © Justin McKie

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Let's face it, we all wanted to see Marcos Maidana in there chucking overhand right hands at Timothy Bradley in what would have been a truly significant 140lb encounter.  Chances are Bradley would have had his way with the relentless Argentinian, but it still would have been a lot of fun.  Oh well, perhaps we might get that match-up at some point down the road, but for now Desert Storm will be jumping up to the welterweight class for a stay busy battle with Maidana's countryman, Luis Carlos Abregu.

While he's clearly a level (or three) below Bradley in terms of skills, Abregu does present some challenges bringing a clear size edge along with enough power to potentially make things interesting.  At the very least, we'll get a chance to see Bradley operate with a little added weight, which might give us an idea of how strong he'll be in potential match-ups with the likes of Andre Berto, and other potential opponents at 147lbs.

Sturdy Mexican pressure fighter Alfredo Angulo also features on the HBO show, taking on Joachim Alcine in a junior-middleweight clash.  At one time, Alcine's counter-punching skills, along with his ability to box and move would have presented a very tricky style match-up for Angulo - though at this stage of his career, it's questionable whether the Canadian fighter's legs will allow him to maintain the distance needed to have a shot at pulling off the upset.

Let's take a look at some of the pre-fight buzz for tonight's fights...

Bad Left Hook Fight Preview: Timothy Bradley v. Luis Carlos Abregu

Abregu is pretty basic. He's got power, but he's still raw. That power, though, is very real, and he's going to have a pretty big size advantage. At 5'10", he'll tower over the 5'6" Bradley, and he'll have a three-inch reach advantage, too. I don't think it's enough to pull off the upset, but I do have that little itch that says this is a very, very dangerous fight for Tim Bradley, and yet again Bradley shows his willingness to not just feed on a stay-busy guy. Bradley could well sweep the cards in this one, but he has to be constantly aware of Abregu's big right hand. Bradley UD-12

The Rumble - Weekend Picks: Bradley-Abregu

I think Bradley peppers Abregu with right hands and uses his feet to control distance. He has the workrate to swamp most any fighter and I see him pouring it on the later rounds Abregu isn't the type to shell up. He'll keep coming, but it won't be enough. Bradley TKO 11 Abregu

The Orange County Register - Bradley used boxing to escape mean streets

"I'd been beating people up in school," Bradley said, "Suddenly I found boxing. You could beat up somebody and not get in trouble? I thought this is amazing." His first coaches were O.J. Coutoure and Russell Rodriguez, both of whom have passed on. They had Bradley in the ring three weeks after they saw him, and he won his first amateur fight using only a jab. The coaches went to Bradley's door and told the dad, "Your son can be a world champion."

The Desert Sun - After weighing options: Bradley fights at 147

Being this is a non-title bout and that Bradley is the bigger-named fighter, Bradley could have demanded the fight be fought at a "catch weight" 145 or 146 to help offset Abregu's size advantage. "I don't believe in catch weights," Bradley said. "I believe if you're going to go to the next weight class, you need to go to the next weight class. You have to fight the real weight class, not a catch weight. You need to fight the best in the weight class, don't fight at a catch weight. That's pathetic, pathetic."

Fight News - Q&A: Timothy Bradley

What made you decide to move up to welterweight and face Luis Carlos Abregu and do you have any plans on moving back down to junior welterweight?

What made me move up was the fact that I couldn’t get a fight at 140 then as soon as I started looking for a fight at 147 that’s when everybody started calling me out, Devon Alexander in particular. Also, what made me move up was the fact that I wanted to show the boxing fans and the world that I’m willing to move up and face the top guys, the big names in the division like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, I’m willing to face these guys, I want to face these guys. So I want to see what I can do at 147 pounds by facing Carlos Abregu and if I get past him then we’ll sit down and talk and see what our next move is going to be.

The Desert Sun - Carlos Abregu showing no fear of Timothy Bradley

"Bradley having all of the media's attention puts me at ease because the pressure is not on me, it's on the champ," Abregu said. "This allows me to do my work. I don't care about what is said before or after the fight. Everything I do, I do in the ring."

Boxing Scene - Bradley vs Abregu Winner a Possible Andre Berto Foe

BoxingScene.com was advised by promoter Lou DiBella that Saturday's winner of the welterweight bout between Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11KOs) and Carlos Abregu (29-0, 23KOs) could become a possible opponent for WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto in the fall.

The Boxing Tribune - Timothy Bradley's Dangerous Detour

Abregu, while nowhere near elite level, is young, tough and in possession of real one-punch power. A loss for Bradley takes him down several rungs on the jr. welter ladder; A win, however, does nothing for Bradley’s desire to be recognized as the best 140 pounder in the world. Surely, Bradley’s people and HBO could’ve put more thought into this HBO showcase. Any number of 140 lb. fighters could’ve been chosen for this date, all with more name recognition than Abregu; All more logical and significant for Bradley and where he wants to guide his career.

The Sweet Science - Timothy Bradley & Alfredo "Perro" Angulo In L.A.

One thing many fans don’t realize is Angulo and Bradley once collided in the ring as amateurs. "Whoa it was a close fight. It was a hell of a fight," said Timothy Bradley Sr. who remembers when his son and Angulo met as 152-pound amateurs. "He (Bradley) lost by one single point."

Fightnews - Angulo ready for Alcine

Although Alcine is on the forefront of his mind, Angulo has been discussed in fighting Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. or a rematch against Kermit Cintron, whom he lost to in May of last year. He has since backed away from that bout, stating that he was not impressed with Cintron’s performance prior to Cintron injuring himself falling to the cement after going through the ropes against Paul Williams in May.