Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux live stream: How to watch online

The sport of boxing has never seen two-time gold medalists battle it out in the ring, but that will change on Saturday when Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux meet at Madison Square Garden. The contest will be aired live on ESPN beginning at 9 p.m. ET (live streaming online via WatchESPN).

The televised card will feature four bouts, while another three will be streamed on WatchESPN and the ESPN App beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Rigondeaux, 37, is up there in years and certainly out of his prime, but his technical defensive style is something that will never diminish. Some have called him boring for his style, but he maintains that the object of boxing is simple: hit the other guy while not getting hit yourself. He’s a firm believer in that last part, and remains one of the hardest guys to actually pin down in the whole sport.

He also owns two gold medals for his native Cuba, winning the top honor at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics.

Lomachenko, 29, considered several opponents for his next bout after stopping Miguel Marriaga in the seventh round in August. The first was Rigondeaux and the second is Orlando Salido, the man who gave him his only career defeat in a controversial split decision back in 2014. The fight with Rigondeaux is a much better one though, and most figure he’d stomp Salido in a rematch.

Like Rigondeaux, Lomachenko has used his incredible tactical skillset to notch a pair of gold medals, taking home the top honor for Ukraine at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London games.

Rigondeaux is moving up a pair of weight classes for the bout, which is contested at 130 pounds. That said, the size difference between the two is exaggerated, while neither of them are power-punchers to begin with. Lomachenko isn’t going to bully Rigondeaux because of his size: He’ll have to be the superior striker at the end of the day.

Saturday’s undercard is a good one, too. The televised broadcast will open with 2016 United States silver medalist Shakur Stevenson taking on Osacar Mendoza. Stevenson is 3-0 as a professional, and favored over Mendoza, as expected.

Christopher Diaz is 21-0 and looking to impress a wide audience as he takes on the tough, but beatable, Bryant Cruz, also on the televised card. The co-feature will see Irish Olympian Michael Conlan search for his fifth career win as he faces Luis Fernando Molina.

Below is all you need to know to catch the action, as well as live streaming links on top of the full official fight card.

Date: Dec. 9, 2017

Location: The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City

Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Online Streaming: WatchESPN

Vasyl Lomachenko (9-1) vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0)
Michael Conlan (4-0) vs. Luis Fernando Molina (7-3-1)
Christopher Diaz (21-0) vs. Bryant Cruz (18-2)
Shakur Stevenson (3-0) vs. Oscar Mendoza (4-2)
Bryant Jennings (20-2) vs. Don Haynesworth (13-1-1)
Jose Gonzalez (8-0-1) vs. Adan Gonzalez (3-1-1)
Mikaela Mayer (2-0) vs. Nydia Feliciano (9-8-3)