Mikey Garcia vs. Bernabe Concepcion on Saturday night

(Photo Credit: Amanda Kwok / SHOWTIME) By Chris Williams: It looks like the 24-year-old Bernabe Concepcion (29-5-1, 15 KO’s) will be the sacrificial lamb for unbeaten Mikey Garcia (27-0, 23 KO’s) to destroy tomorrow night on Saturday in a record padding fight on the undercard of the Orlando Salido vs. Juan Manuel Lopez II rematch at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Concepcion probably didn’t stand even a slight chance when the fight was signed, but in looking at how emaciated he’s looked this week in getting down to 126 to make weight for the fight, I think this is going to be a very quick fight with Garcia destroying Concepcion in lightning fashion. Concepion was at one time a decent prospect, but he’s lost three out of his last five fights and looked horrible in each of them.

Even in his last bout, a round split decision win over Aaron Garcia, Concepcion looked poor. Now he’s being put in with arguably the best contender in the featherweight division in the hard-hitting 24-year-old Garcia. The outcome is a forgone conclusion. Concepcion is going to get blasted out and it won’t be pretty. I just hope he doesn’t get taken out in the 2nd round again like he did in his last against Lopez in July 2010.

Garcia, #1 WBA, #2 WBC, #2 WBO, #8 IBF, has crushing power and has been knocking everyone out that’s been put in with him lately. Concepcion won’t be an exception.

It’s hard to believe now that at one time Concepcion had his career moving along smoothly towards a title belt. He was fighting decently in his title challenger of then WBO featherweight champion Steve Luevano in August 2009, but then blew it by tagging Luevano after the bell to end the 7th with a big right hand. I personally don’t think Luevano was hurt by it but he sure went down like he was hurt and stayed down. This left the referee with no choice but to disqualify Concepcion. Since then, Concepcion’s career has been on a downward spiral. He got another title fight against WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez a year later and was stopped in the 2nd round in July 2010. Concepcion fought like he had no plan at all in going the full 12. He just rushed Lopez and was quickly taken out. It was sad to see because it looked like Concepcion had lost his confidence from the earlier disqualification against Luevano.