Your Guide to Plant-Lee and the Pacquiao-Thurman Undercard

 

This Saturday, July 20, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman meet in a blockbuster welterweight battle atop a FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT). But that's not all PBC is bringing to you on Saturday night.

The festivities kick off with undefeated World Super Middleweight Champion Caleb Plant defending his title versus the undefeated Mike Lee, live on FOX PBC Fight Night (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT).

Here’s a look at the major players in the clashes prior to the Pacquiao-Thurman showdown:

Caleb Plant vs. Mike Lee (Super Middleweight)

When: Live on FOX PBC Fight Night before the PPV event (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)
At Stake: Plant’s IBF Super Middleweight Title

Caleb Plant

Record: (18-0, 10 KOs)

Age: 26

-- Nickname: “Sweet Hands”

-- Born in Nashville, Tennessee

-- Won IBF super middleweight title in January against Jose Uzcategui via unanimous decision

-- Likes to box and play angles ala defensive master James Toney

-- Steady in style and temperament, increasingly fluid in the ring

-- Has good positioning and leverage on offense and defense

-- Showcases good all-around technique

-- A lead left hook is an effective offensive tool

-- Sometimes too deliberate and calculating

-- Letting hands go is the key, must throw combinations

Mike Lee

Record: (21-0, 11 KOs)

Age: 32

-- Chicago-area native

-- Graduated with a degree in finance from Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business in 2009

-- Has trained with Ronnie Shields in Houston and currently with Jamal Abdullah in the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles

-- Has competed exclusively at light heavyweight and cruiserweight, will be competing at super middleweight for the first time as a pro.

-- Appeared in a Subway ad campaign

-- Lost 18 months of career (between 2012-2014) to autoimmune disease known as Ankylosing Spondylitis

-- Is physically strong

-- Has improved fundamentals, timing

-- Thudding body work is best offensive weapon

-- Has faced a low level of opposition, Plant represents huge step up

Omar Figueroa Jr. vs. Yordenis Ugas (Welterweight)

When: Live on PBC on FOX Sports PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)
At stake: This is a WBC welterweight title eliminator

Omar Figueroa Jr.

Record: (28-0-1, 19 KOs)

Age:  29

-- Nickname: “La Panterita”

-- Native of Weslaco, Texas

-- Started boxing at 6 with his dad and trainer Omar Sr.

-- Won athletic scholarship to Texas A&M

-- Fought as amateur in Mexico and US

-- Former WBC lightweight world champ

-- All-action style, throws punches in bunches

-- Switches between southpaw and orthodox

-- Is a pressure fighter/volume puncher who likes to fight inside

-- Inactive due to injury (Has only had two fights in three-and-a-half years)

-- Has reportedly fractured hands 6 to 7 times and also had elbow surgery

Yordenis Ugas

Record: (23-4, 11 KOs)

Age: 33

-- Native of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

--2008 Olympic bronze medalist, representing Cuba

-- Defected to US in 2010

-- Lost to Shawn Porter in March via disputable split decision in bid to capture WBC 147-pound title

-- Is smart, well-schooled, and adaptive

-- Will pick opponents apart if given time and space

-- Prefers orderly fights

-- Works the body well

-- Can get wide with punches, but superb positioning and reflexes keeps him out of trouble

Sergey Lipinets vs. John Molina Jr. (Welterweight)

When: Live on PBC on FOX Sports PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)
At stake: Winner takes one step closer to a welterweight world title fight

Sergey Lipinets

Record: (15-1, 11 KOs)

Age: 30

-- Native of Martuk, Kazakhstan, raised in Russia

-- Former professional kickboxer

-- Won his first world title (IBF Super Lightweight) in 13th pro fight

-- Formerly trained by Buddy McGirt, now works with Joe Goossen

-- Lone defeat came at the hands of Mikey Garcia, Stopped Lamont Peterson in most recent bout

-- Quick and athletic with good reflexes and a relaxed demeanor

-- Utilizes feints to good effect

-- Sets everything up with a quick jab, thrown from the waist at times

-- Uses head movement for defense, also tucks chin behind left shoulder

-- Employs solid body work

-- Likes throwing an overhand right

-- Low left hand makes him susceptible to rights

John Molina Jr.

Record: (30-8, 24 KOs)

Age: 36

-- Nickname: “The Gladiator”

-- From Covina, California

-- Had only 24 amateur fights

-- Is an offense-minded fighter

-- A big right hand is his best offensive asset

-- Has a good, but underused jab

-- Is a better boxer than given credit for, but prefers to fight/brawl and bull forward

-- Struggles with hand and foot speed

Luis Nery vs. Juan Carlos Payano (Bantamweight)

When: Live on PBC on FOX Sports PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)
At stake: Nery’s WBC Silver Bantamweight Title

Luis Nery

Record: (29-0, 23 KOs)

Age: 24

-- Nickname: “Pantera”

-- Native of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

-- Had only 9 amateur bouts

-- Made professional debut at age of 17

-- Former WBC bantamweight world champ

-- Is a heavy-handed Southpaw stalker with explosive power

-- A powerful sweeping left hand is his best offensive asset

-- All-offense mindset makes for defensive liabilities

Juan Carlos Payano

Record: (21-2, 9 KOs)

Age: 35

-- Nickname: “Baby Pacquiao”

-- From La Vega, Dominican Republic

-- Introduced to boxing at 5 years of age

-- Southpaw

-- Former WBA bantamweight world champ

-- Likes to probe with right-handed jab, then throw sweeping left

For a closer look at Plant vs Lee, check out our fight night page.