Egidijus Kavaliauskas put up a better fight than many expected against Terence Crawford in December, when he appeared to send the WBO welterweight champion to the canvas but was ruled a slip by the referee. He stayed in Crawford's face throughout and forced him to fight inside the pocket, but that proved to be fatal as Kavaliauskas lost the first bout of his career via ninth-round TKO.
Now, "Mean Machine" steps back into the ring for the first time since the setback, taking on Mikael Zewski in a 10-round welterweight main event from the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. Kavaliauskas feels Zewski's style compliments his and that it should make for an exciting contest.
"I know he's a tough guy," Kavaliauskas told Boxing Scene. "He's a fighter. He will be there to fight me. It will be a good fight, an explosive fight. There will be lots of fireworks in there. He's a guy who likes to bring the fight in the ring. I'm the same way. I like to fight. We're gonna go at each other hard. It will be a hell of a fight."
After suffering the only blemish on his record to Konstantin Ponomarev in May 2015, Zewski has reeled off eight consecutive wins. A win over Kavaliauskas would signify the most significant win on his resume and put himself in position for a future title shot.
Can "Mean Machine" rebound from the loss to Crawford and get in the thick of things at 147 pounds? Or does Zewski derail those plans?
'Mean Machine' vs. Mikael Zewski fight date, start time
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
- Undercard: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Main card: 10 p.m. ET
The "Mean Machine' vs. Zewski undercard kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the main card, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Miguel Marriaga vs. Joet Gonzalez in a featherweight bout will serve as the co-feature to start the main card.
How to watch, live stream 'Mean Machine' vs. Zewski
- ESPN+
You can watch the "Mean Machine" vs. Zewski undercard and main card live on ESPN+, which is $5.99 a month or $49.99 annually. Current subscribers can watch the fight as part of their plan.
Where is the 'Mean Machine' vs. Zewski fight?
The "Mean Machine" vs. Zewski fight will be held at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. Top Rank just held its Jose Ramirez vs. Viktor Postol junior welterweight title bout at the venue at the end of August. While "Mean Machine" and Zewski have each fought in Las Vegas before, this will mark the first time that either competes in "The Bubble," as it has affectionately been referred to during the coronavirus pandemic.
'Mean Machine' record and bio
- Nationality: Lithuanian
- Born: June 29, 1988
- Height: 5-9
- Reach: 71 inches
- Total fights: 2
- Record: 21-1-1 with 17 knockouts
Mikael Zewski record and bio
- Nationality: Canadian
- Born: February 13, 1989
- Height: 5-11
- Reach: 70 inches
- Total fights: 35
- Record: 34-1 with 23 knockouts
'Mean Machine' vs. Zewski fight card
Main card
- Egidijus Kavaliauskas vs. Mikael Zewski; Welterweights
- Miguel Marriaga vs. Joet Gonzalez; Featherweights
Preliminary card
- Aleem Jumakhonov vs. Jorge Ramos; Featherweights
- Manuel Flores vs. Jonathan Rodriguez; Bantamweights
- Adan Gonzalez vs. Anthony Chavez; Junior Lightweights
- Eric Puente vs. TBA; Lightweights
- Alejandro Martinez vs. Ernesto Mercado; Lightweights