Conlan’s pro debut, which will be as a featherweight, in a six-round bout against Tim Ibarra (4-4, 1 KO), of Denver, is set for the evening of Friday, March 17, at the “O’Mecca of Boxing.” And to put an exclamation point on the occasion, fellow countryman and UFC superstar and lightweight champion Conor McGregor has accepted Conlan’s invitation to walk him into the ring!
Conlan joins an elite group of fellow Olympic medalists, including George Foreman, Evander Holyfield and Jermaine Taylor, to make his professional debut on boxing’s most hallowed ground. But Conlan is the only one to make his debut as the main event. Over 500 fans from Ireland have purchased tickets and are expected to be in attendance, rooting on the man who drove the snakes out of the Olympics last summer.
The card will also feature junior lightweight ROBSON CONCEICAO (2-0, 1 KO), the first Brazilian boxer to win Olympic gold (2016), and undefeated welterweight contender ALEX SAUCEDO (23-0, 14 KOs) of Oklahoma City, in separate bouts.
The full line-up reads as follows:
8 – Super Lightweight
Alex Saucedo 23-0 v
Johnny Garcia 19-4-1
6 – Super Featherweight
Robson Conceicao 2-0 v
Rafael Busuioe 4-1
6 – Super Bantamweight
Michael Conlan 0-0 v
Tim Ibarra 4-4
6 – Featherweight
Jose Gonzalez 6-0-1 v
Jhovany Collado 4-11-2
6 – Lightweight
Teofimo Lopez 2-0 v
Daniel Bastien 4-3
6 – Welterweight
Bengar Garcia 1-1 v
Alexander Picot 1-2-1
4 – Welterweight
Larry Gleeson 2-0 v
Gabriel Solario 2-3-1
Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Hennessy and Madison Square Garden, remaining tickets to Conlan’s pro debut are priced at $200, $150, $100, $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.
The main event bouts will be televised in the U.S. on UniMás and Univision Deportes, beginning at 11 p.m. ET / PT; live to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland via Box Nation and live to Brasil via SporTV. Ireland will also have access to a primetime delay via RTE.
The very next night, it’s the turn of the highly anticipated World Middleweight Championship between Unified Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, (36-0, 33 KO’s) and WBA Middleweight World Champion and Mandatory Challenger DANIEL “The Miracle Man” JACOBS, (32-1, 29 KO’s).
Also on the bill, ROMAN ‘CHOCOLATITO’ GONZALEZ puts his WBC super-flyweight belt on the line against SRIKASET SOR RUNGVISAI.
Golovkin and Jacobs have an extraordinary, combined 35 consecutive knockouts heading into this highly anticipated batt
GOLOVKIN vs. JACOBS is presented by K2 Promotions. Tickets priced at $1000, $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are now on sale and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com.
Here’s how the full card looks:
12 – WBC Super Flyweight title
Roman Gonzalez 46-0 v
Wisaksil Wangek 41-4-1
(Srikaset Sor Rungvisai)
12 – WBC/WBA/IBO/IBF Middleweight titles
Gennady Golovkin 36-0 v
Daniel Jacobs 32-1
10 – Super Flyweight
Carlos Cuadras 35-1-1 v
David Carmona 20-3-5
10 – Lightweight
Ryan Martin 17-0 v
Bryant Cruz 17-1
8 – Middleweight
Andy Lee 34-3-1 v
KeAndrae Leatherwood 19-3-1
4 – Heavyweight
Jay McFarlane 2-0 v
Matt McKinney 3-2-2
4 – Welterweight
Serhii Bohachuk 2-0 v
Yasmani Pedroso 1-1
World Boxing News will be live scoring the main Golovkin v Jacobs bouts on site
