Gennady Golovkin vs. Marco Antonio Rubio: Fight Time, Date, TV Info

If you tune into HBO on Saturday night to catch WBA and IBO middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (30-0, 27 KO) take on interim WBC titleholder Marco Antonio Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KO), you will be entertained.

Both champions come to the ring looking for stoppages in every bout, and the undefeated Golovkin has obtained his goal in 17 straight fights. No opponent has gone the distance with him since 2008. In total, GGG has an insane KO percentage of 90.

Rubio's 51 knockouts are nothing to sneeze at. He's known for his toughness as well as his power, and he aims to hand Golovkin his first loss. Golovkin's titles and his reputation as perhaps the most feared man in the sport are on the line, while Rubio's recently acquired interim title is at stake.

Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, October 18 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: StubHub Center, Carson, California

TV: HBO

On the Cusp of Something Big

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Golovkin has been on a methodical climb up the mythical pound-for-pound rankings for the past three years. There may be a couple of reasons his ascension seems to be rather slow. It could be attributed to a fear of the powerful and skilled middleweights among his peers, but there's also been some careful matchmaking done on the part of his camp and HBO.

While past opponents like Curtis Stevens and Daniel Geale are recognizable names to hardcore boxing fans, Golovkin has yet to scrap with a proven draw and elite talent.

That could be coming up very shortly.

Because Rubio's interim title is on the line for this fight, and that "belt" gives Rubio the distinction of being WBC champion Miguel Cotto's mandatory challenger, a Golovkin win would then make him the man in line to face the Puerto Rican legend.

A Golovkin-Cotto clash is something most fight fans would like to see. It would be the biggest fight of Golovkin's career, and it would tell us whether Cotto can still consider himself an elite fighter.

But first, Golovkin has to take care of a tough and determined Rubio.

Mission to Survive or Win

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Don't worry about Rubio coming into Saturday's fight simply looking to hang on. He apparently knows this fight isn't going the distance.

In an interview with The Ring magazine's Anson Wainwright, Rubio was asked if he had a message for Golovkin going into the fight. Rubio said: "No message, I just expect that he is going to come prepared and ready to give the fans the fight they want to see. This will be a night to remember, one of us is going to be knocked out. And I can tell you this, I’m coming prepared to knock him out!"

Not many people will give Rubio a chance to win this bout, and the lack of faith comes with good reason. From what we've seen, Golovkin is a KO machine who could very well be the best fighter in the world right now. Yes, I said that.

Secondly, Rubio has never scored a big win over anyone of note. His most notable victories came over a washed-up Carlos Baldomir and an overrated David Lemieux, neither of which at their best could hold a candle to Golovkin. So what happens on Saturday night?

Prediction

The bout with Rubio is a good one for Golovkin. It's a decent test against an experienced, tough, hard-punching opponent, but Golovkin will pass with flying colors.

Golovkin's power and accuracy are phenomenal. He also has an underrated chin. He took some good shots from Stevens, who is a good puncher, and they didn't faze him. Rubio's power likely won't expose him to anything he hasn't felt.

With a relentless pursuit of his opponent and a steady diet of punishing body shots, Golovkin usually drains a fighter's energy and will. 

Rubio has the experience and the power, but he doesn't have the style or speed to give Golovkin sustained issues. There's no fighter currently in the sport who could beat Golovkin in a stand-and-trade affair.

Based on what I've seen of Rubio and the way he's talking heading into the bout, that's the only way he knows to fight. It'll make for an exciting bout but a losing effort for Rubio. Golovkin wins by fifth-round TKO.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.