After acquitting himself well in a WBO title shot against Terence Crawford last December, Lithuanian banger Egidijus ‘Mean Machine’ Kavaliauskas will return against Canadian Mikael Zewski in a 10-rounder at ‘The Bubble’ in the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, on September 12.
In the 10-round featherweight co-feature, three-time world title challenger Miguel Marriaga (29-3, 25 KOs) will meet recent WBO title challenger Joet Gonzalez (23-1, 14 KOs).
“Mean Machine proved he’s a top welterweight with his performance against Terence Crawford [LTKO9]. He’s itching to get back into championship contention, and Zewski should give him a tough challenge,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Viewers will get a high-energy, action-packed fight with the Marriaga-Gonzalez bout.”
Kavaliauskas (21-1-1, 17 KOs) said, “I am excited to return to the ring, as I still have unfinished business. I still believe I have what it takes to become a world champion, and that journey resumes against a tough opponent in Mikael Zewski.”
Zewski (34-1, 23 KOs) added, “This is the fight I’ve been waiting for. Kavaliauskas is a fast and extremely powerful boxer, but I have all the tools to win. The stakes are high, and a win will propel me into a world championship fight. This is my ninth fight in Las Vegas. I’ll feel right at home.”
Kavaliauskas-Zewski and Marriaga-Gonzalez will stream live on ESPN+ at 10pm ET/7pm PT in the US. The undercard, also on ESPN+, starts at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT.