Welterweight

Boxer Keith Thurman told TMZ Sports that he would love to face Manny Pacquiao in the ring.

"It's kinda ironic that I'm the only welterweight in the world that holds two world titles and he's still ranked above me," he said.

"At the end of the day we want that Pacman fight. I can't wait to negotiate that fight. Shoot, he can pick the date, he can pick anything he wants because I'm ready to put hands on him."

Thurman also said he was open to a rematch against Danny Garcia, whom he beat on Mar. 4 to claim the WBC welterweight title to go along with his WBA welterweight belt.

You can see the full video below:

Confidence has never been an issue for Thurman, who touted himself as an all-around threat before facing Garcia.

"There hasn't been one opponent who's gotten in the ring with me and said that my power isn't for real," he told Lyle Fitzsimmons of CBS Sports in early March. "I think my power and my boxing IQ will be the same. I can change it up. I can do what I need to do, so you are unable to do what you want to do."

He's certainly backed it up over his career with a perfect 28-0 record. But Thurman still isn't considered the top welterweight in the world by some. Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, for instance, still has Pacquiao rated as the top welterweight and Thurman No. 2. And certainly Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley are the most recognizable names in the division.

Thurman is looking for the opportunity to prove he belongs in that category.

For more news, rumors and related stories about Keith Thurman and boxing, check out the boxing streams on Bleacher Report's app.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was the subject of an arson attack Saturday during a trip to the United Kingdom when one of his "The Money Team" vans was set on fire during an appearance at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.

ESPN reported the entourage's van was burned down while Mayweather took part in a Q&A session before watching Tony Bellew defeat David Haye in his heavyweight debut. A West Midlands Police statement read:

Police are investigating an arson attack on a vehicle parked at a Birmingham hotel. No one was injured following the fire at 0330hrs this morning [Sunday 5 March] at the Park Regis Hotel in Broad Street.

Offenders smashed the window of the vehicle, a people carrier, before pouring accelerant inside and setting it alight. Enquiries into the fire, which caused extensive damage to the vehicle belonging to a guest, are currently ongoing and police are examining CCTV from the area.

Mayweather revealed during the Birmingham Q&A that it was one of his biggest regrets he never fought in Britain, although he may take a different approach in that regard following Saturday's arson attack.

It was inevitable that a trip to the UK would result in further talk of a potential superfight against Irishman Conor McGregor. However, Mayweather informed the Telegraph's Gareth A. Davies McGregor's contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship could be an issue:

The difference between me and him is this: He has to fight. If I was him and I was smart, before I lose again in the UFC I'd let Floyd Mayweather kick my ass for a lot of money. It makes business sense. 

There's a difference between being an employee and an employer. If someone says 'I want to fight Floyd Mayweather,' I can simply say 'yes, let's make it happen.' But when you've got a guy like Conor McGregor, he has to talk to Dana White [the UFC president]. Dana has to talk to Dana's bosses. 

Currently retired, Mayweather has no obligation to return to active status in the combat world, yet the temptation to come back and round off his 49-0 record with an illustrious 50th win could prove hard to resist.

Mayweather is currently enjoying his "Undefeated" tour of the United Kingdom and is next scheduled to speak Monday in London, where he'll hope his appearance passes without interruption.

Saturday's attack on Mayweather's van wasn't his worst bit of bad fortune of late, however. TMZ Sports reported the former fighter's Las Vegas home was burglarised of more than $150,000 in goods while he was in Los Angeles for his 40th birthday.

Mayweather did take the time to praise British boxing fans during his appearance at Birmingham ICC—before his custom van was burned down—and pointed out one attribute they boast over their American counterparts.

Per the Telegraph, he said: "I represented the U.S. in the Olympics, I love my country. But the U.S. fans will love you on Monday; if you lose they'll hate you on Tuesday; if you win, it will be back to loving you on Wednesday. The thing about these UK fans is if they are with you, they're with you."

It seems the gesture isn't reciprocated by some supporters after the arson incident, and TMZ reported Ladywood Fire Station, which responded to the fire, is looking for "two individuals" responsible for the blaze.

The sports world is generally in the doldrums in the period between the Super Bowl and the March Madness tournament, with only mid-to-late-season NBA basketball and overseas soccer doing much to carry omnivorous sports fans between major events.

Boxing has a chance to take a big stage and fill the sports vacuum on Saturday, with a must-see welterweight title matchup between Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia, airing for free on CBS under the Premier Boxing Champions banner.

Thurman holds the WBA world title, Garcia the WBC equivalent. Both men are undefeated, hard punchers and smart boxers. Thurman is Ring Magazine's second-ranked welterweight, with Garcia coming in at No. 7. 

The Barclays Center in Brooklyn has hosted several great fights over the past year or so, including a thrilling contest between Thurman and Shawn Porter. 

Everything is set up for this to be an entertaining spectacle. Here's the viewing info for the contest.

Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia Fight Info

When: Saturday, March 4, 9 p.m. ET

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York

TV: CBS (US), BoxNation (UK)

Live Stream: BoxNation (UK)

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

According to OddsShark, Thurman is a 4-9 favorite over Garcia (as of March 1). Thurman has a reputation for incredible power, has been in the welterweight ranks longer than his opponent and has constantly challenged himself, whether it's fighting the cagey Leonard Bundu or the kinetic Porter. 

Garcia's last fight out was at welterweight against the underwhelming Samuel Vargas, making Thurman a huge leap in competition for him. Of course, Bad Left Hook's Scott Christ pointed out Garcia is still not to be underestimated: 

I feel, perhaps wrongly (?), that Garcia is being a little overlooked here. As if he's a clear underdog. As if he doesn't present some serious potential matchup issues for Thurman.

Garcia is one of the smartest top fighters out there. He knows his way around the ring, doesn't get himself in big trouble often, and his struggles have come against fellow crafty fighters like Mauricio Herrera and Lamont Peterson, guys who also don't often look to do more than is presented to them.

Garcia's an excellent counterpuncher, and his intelligence and movement keep him safe most of the time. While Christ also points out his competition at welterweight hasn't been the most prestigious, Garcia has beaten quality opposition throughout his career, including Lucas Matthysse and Amir Khan.

He's taken on the heavy hitters and the lightning-quick strikers and won. Thurman is no one-dimensional big swinger, but whatever style he brings to the fight, Garcia is confident he can handle him. 

"I'm just a great all-around fighter. I'm tough mentally and I'm going to control the fight. He's never been in a ring with a guy like me," Garcia told CBS Sports' Jason Keidel. 

Thurman has had plenty of time to recharge and prepare for this fight, roughly nine months out from his brutal, spectacular duel with Porter. Garcia is a little under four months removed from his bout with Vargas, but that was far less taxing than what Thurman endured with Porter.

Thurman's power could be a problem for Garcia, assuming he can catch Swift flush with one of his devastating hooks. One Time will have to wait for the right time to go at Garcia, lest he eat one of his opponent's patented counter shots. This fight could start out a bit cagier than some expect, as both fighters try to suss out each other's strategies. 

Eventually, though, the two will have to really tangle, and Thurman believes his power, comfort and experience at the weight level will see him through, per Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole:

Danny is a very talented and accomplished fighter, but most of his accomplishments have come at 140 pounds, not welterweight. We have all those weight classes we have in boxing for a reason. They are there for a legitimate reason. I'll be showing that on Saturday. Danny Garcia is not a legitimate welterweight and I'm going to show him what it's like for a 140-pounder to get in there with a legitimate, full-fledged welterweight.

Garcia will have to be at his best to score an upset in this fight. If he can frustrate Thurman for a few rounds, set up traps and land some trademark hooks while keeping himself away from Thurman's biggest punches, he will win this semi-unification belt. 

Per Iole, this matchup is "only the third match between unbeaten welterweight champions and just the second between champs with perfect marks." It's a big night for settling the hierarchy in the welterweight ranks, and it could be a massive night for boxing as a whole. 

The sport needs to get in-their-prime, exciting fighters out in front of the general public as much as possible if it is going to prosper.

Thurman-Garcia brings plenty of promise and will almost certainly deliver for the big boxing fans, and it could be a good enough scrap to bring along the casual ones and maybe even snag a few converts to the sweet science.

Floyd Mayweather's Las Vegas home was burglarized over the weekend, TMZ Sports reported Tuesday.

The boxer was celebrating his 40th birthday in Los Angeles when the alleged incident occurred, according to the report. TMZ Sports cited sources who said the thieves allegedly took $150,000 worth of valuables, including several purses and at least one expensive watch.

In a separate piece, TMZ Sports noted the Saturday night birthday party included a number of celebrities, including Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber, Terrell Owens, Bobby Brown and others.

The burglarized home is in a gated community near a golf course.

Mayweather's name has been in recent headlines as he and MMA fighter Conor McGregor work toward a potential fight. The boxer reportedly told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith the fight was "getting very, very close," per Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com.

For now, the 40-year-old boxer is still retired, and police told him to take inventory of his belongings following the burglary, per TMZ Sports. 

Former two-time world champion Lamont Peterson will look to make a statement in a new division when he takes on David Avanesyan on Saturday night at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.

After winning titles in the super lightweight ranks, Peterson is moving up to welterweight for the first time. Avanesyan has spent years at welterweight and is currently the WBA secondary world titleholder, with Keith Thurman ranking as the WBA "super" world champion.

Peterson has had a long layoff from the ring, with his last fight coming in October 2015. Avanesyan, by comparison, has fought and won twice in that time and should prove a stiff challenge for the aging Peterson. 

The bout will be featured on Showtime, along with the main event, a welterweight bout between Adrien Broner and Adrian Granados.

Here's the viewing info for the event. 

David Avanesyan vs. Lamont Peterson Fight Info

Where: Cintas Center in Cincinnati

When: Saturday, Feb. 18

Time (ET): 9 p.m. ET

TV: Showtime

Live Stream: ShowtimeAnytime

Peterson's age (33) and 16-month absence from the ring will have most looking for signs of ring rust as soon as he throws his first punch on Saturday. He's fought the likes of Danny Garcia, Timothy Bradley Jr., Amir Khan and Dierry Jean, but his skills haven't been put to the test in quite a while, and speed and sharpness tend to erode over time. 

Like any good boxer, Peterson insists he won't show any rust when he takes on Avanesyan, a fighter five years his junior. 

"People are going to talk a lot about my layoff, but honestly that only affects people who aren't always in the gym," said Peterson, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "I have been in the gym working hard this entire time. I've been working on my craft. I got better and you'll see on [Saturday]."

WJLA's Robert Burton shared footage of Peterson, sporting a James Harden-esque beard, training for the upcoming bout: 

Beyond age and time off taking away his skills, a move up to a new weight class will be yet another challenge for the quick-moving Peterson. In his controversial loss to Garcia in April 2015, Peterson danced out of his opponent's way and slipped punches with aplomb, especially early on in the fight. He didn't do enough punching to sway the judges, apparently, and it cost him.

With a couple of extra years and a few extra pounds on his body, it will be interesting to see if Peterson can get the split-second timing he needs to doge blows and counter against Avanesyan. Peterson has lost two of his last five fights, and his last bout—a win over Felix Diaz—was a majority decision.

He'll have to hope his vigilance in the gym will be enough to beat Avanesyan.

The 28-year-old Russian lacks the name recognition or pedigree of Peterson but hasn't lost since dropping his second professional fight in 2009. Avanesyan was last seen in the ring in May 2016, earning a decision win over a long-past-his-prime Shane Mosley.

The fight against Mosley was Avanesyan's first against a big-name opponent and his first in the United States, so it's good that he's cleared those hurdles before facing Peterson.

Still, his track record isn't enough to convince Saturday Night Boxing's Adam Abramowitz that he can win:

There's a chance this fight will lack tension early on, as neither fighter boasts great power, and there could be tentativeness from both: Peterson due to time out of the ring, Avanesyan due to his unfamiliarity with the spotlight.

If Avanesyan gets the win, Peterson's pedigree will surely springboard the Russian to greater fights stateside. Should Peterson win, his track record might allow him to demand some of the bigger names in the welterweight ranks earlier than other newcomers to this talented division might expect.

It's been nearly a year since former four-division champion Adrien Broner stepped inside a ring; his last bout was a technical knockout win in April 2016 over Ashley Theophane that nevertheless saw him stripped of his WBA welterweight title when he failed to make weight. 

Broner will look for a more successful return to boxing on Saturday in front of a hometown crowd in Cincinnati when he takes on former sparring partner Adrian Granados for a 10-round welterweight bout. 

The bout was initially set for a catchweight of 142 pounds, but according to Granados (h/t RingTV.com's Mitch Abramson), Broner's team requested the weight limit get pushed to 147 pounds.

The fight is the main event of a Showtime card also featuring a welterweight battle between Lamont Peterson and David Avanesyan.

Here's the viewing info for the bout.

Adrien Broner vs. Adrian Granados Fight Info

Where: Cintas Center, Cincinnati

When: Saturday, Feb. 18

Time (ET): 9 p.m. ET

TV: Showtime

Live Stream: ShowtimeAnytime

Since that bout against Theophane, Broner has spent 30 days in jail for failing to show up for a felony trial, and in October 2016 he made what appeared to be suicidal remarks on social media. He was also cited for misdemeanor battery in October.

Broner, in the buildup for this fight against Granados, has said he wants to be better.

"It's just about me doing better. It's about changing for the better and being as positive as can be. I'm not bringing negativity to anything I do," he said, per BoxingNews24.com.

On their respective surfaces, Broner's resume sparkles in comparison to that of Granados. The Ohioan isn't quite the elite fighter he claims to be, but he's won titles in four divisions and beaten the likes of Paul Malignaggi, Emmanuel Taylor and John Molina Jr.  

Some of Broner's best work has come at junior welterweight, but that's not where he will be at for Saturday's bout.

Bad Left Hook's Scott Christ questioned whether Broner will be at his best at welterweight: 

In fact, as a welterweight, Broner is 1-2, and the win over Paulie Malignaggi was fairly controversial, though it did net him a WBA belt. And Broner had to push this fight to a full 147-pound limit instead of the lower contracted weight originally agreed upon. Is he ready? Is he in shape? Is he even much good as a welterweight in the first place?

Those are the questions that make him hard to figure out, because they’re consistent questions going into his fights. He wasn't impressive last time out against Ashley Theophane, a fight that would have been fairly easy for anyone who was as great as Broner has claimed to be over the years. And what of that ego? Is it real? Is it an act? He’s a case where it's actually difficult to figure either way.

The aforementioned losses came against Shawn Porter and Marcos Maidana, both of whom are good fighters. Broner should be able to defeat Granados if he's focused and in shape, but the latter is a highly motivated fighter who has earned stoppages in three of his last five wins, including an impressive TKO over then-undefeated Amir Imam. 

Granados does have four losses in his career, but those have come against fighters who have combined for only a single loss. Plus, that quartet of defeats all came by split or majority decision. Granados' record is far from perfect, but he is nothing if not a tough out.

While Broner will be motivated to prove he can still be something of a force in boxing, Granados will look to not only use a potential upset as a springboard to greater recognition, but also to honor a fallen friend. 

Ed Brown, an unbeaten Chicago boxer, was killed in December in a drive-by shooting. Granados, also from Chicago, hopes that he can win on Saturday for his late friend while also making his community proud.

"Ed Brown was the heart of this neighborhood, and now I need to carry on his legacy. This is my opportunity to do something for my career, but also this community. I have to be twice as great, for me and him," the 27-year-old said, per USA Today's Bob Velin.

Granados and Broner have plenty of familiarity with each other as friends and sparring partners, and it will be interesting to see the strategies employed in this fight.

Broner is far and away the more recognizable boxer, but all those rounds of sparring could mean Granados knows the key to beating his opponent. 

Of course, Broner could just as easily turn things around on Granados, but he'll have to utilize his full range of skills to do so. If nothing else, Saturday's bout has plenty in the way of narrative heft, and the clash of talent should make for an entertaining event.

In the face of conflicting reports regarding how close a potential boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor is to being agreed upon, Mayweather addressed McGregor Wednesday morning on Twitter. 

As seen in the following tweet, Mayweather called for McGregor to get to work on business dealings with UFC:

The 49-0 Mayweather hasn't fought since 2015, while McGregor was recently issued a boxing license in the state of California.

On Tuesday, ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto wrote that Mayweather told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith "we're getting very, very close" to coming to terms on a bout with McGregor.

Later in the day, however, Mayweather made it clear that no deal was in place with the following Instagram post:

Also, per Okamoto, UFC President Dana White denied that an agreement was on the horizon: "No deal is even close to being done."

Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman Anthony Marnell did tell Okamoto, though, that there have been "real discussions" with "the real players involved" regarding a Mayweather versus McGregor clash.

White publicly offered Mayweather $25 million for the fight on Fox Sports 1's The Herd (h/t Steven Marrocco of MMAJunkie) in January, but "Money" declined and called White a "comedian," according to TMZ Sports.

The 39-year-old Mayweather retired after defeating Andre Berto in 2015, but he has come out of retirement once before and could be in line for the biggest payday of his career if a deal is reached with McGregor.

Although the 28-year-old McGregor has no professional boxing experience, he trained in boxing as a youth.

The Irishman currently holds the UFC Lightweight Championship and a 21-3 professional MMA record.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Floyd Mayweather isn't quite ready to return from retirement.

The 39-year-old boxer explained his position via Twitter on Tuesday:

That countered a report from ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that Mayweather was "getting very, very close" to a fight against UFC star Conor McGregor (via Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com).

Barry Moran and Adam Higgins of the Sun even reported the two sides had reached a multimillion-dollar deal.

Despite the reports, it appears as though there is still work to be done to complete such a contract.

"There is a lot of real stuff going on," Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman Anthony A. Marnell III said, per Okamoto. "It still seems like a long shot, but when there is a lot of money involved, people tend to figure it out. There are a lot of cooks in the kitchen, but I'm not sure if we're going to eat."

While it remains to be seen whether a bout between the two superstars will come to fruition, there have been discussions for several months.

During an appearance on The Herd (via FoxSports.com's Damon Martin) on Jan. 13, UFC President Dana White offered each competitor $25 million plus a share of the pay-per-view profits for a fight, though Mayweather laughed it off.

Mayweather retired from professional boxing in 2015 with a 49-0 career record. McGregor is the UFC lightweight champion but has only competed in mixed martial arts.