Diego Pacheco vs. Steven Nelson Preview: Start Time, Date, Fight Card, How To Watch

Two undefeated rising contenders will be looking to take the next step forward in their careers on Saturday night.

Diego Pacheco will put his USWBC and WBO International belts on the line against Steven Nelson at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas live on DAZN. Pacheco and Nelson had to be separated from each other by security at the weigh-in on Friday.

Diego Pacheco and Steven Nelson get heated after the final face-off ahead of their fight tomorrow night… pic.twitter.com/Nslr1jatkR
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) January 24, 2025

Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs), 23, is on the cusp of fighting for one of the four major belts at super middleweight. Pacheco is ranked No. 6 by the IBF, No. 3 by the WBC and No. 1 by the WBO. While there could be bigger fights on the horizon, Pacheco isn't looking past Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs).

“He's a hungry fighter who knows this is probably his last chance to get into the world title conversation," Pacheco told The Ring. "I know he’s going to come with everything which is why I’m working my ass off, working for the best Steven Nelson possible."

For Nelson, he knows the opportunity at hand and that he can't afford to blow it if he's going to fight for a world title.

"[Pacheco] takes a loss, he can bounce back," Nelson said at the press conference on Thursday. "I'm 36 from Omaha, Nebraska, been through hell to get here, and I mean hell. And not just in boxing, military, being shot, being blown up, being through everything, injuries, all that. I can't afford to lose. So if you think I'm coming in this fight just to lay down, I'm not. So you can make it hard or it could be easy. But I'm not losing. I'm not backing down."

Keys to victory:

Nelson, 36, is at his best when he's on the inside, pushing the pace and digging the body. He also has a good straight right hand that can be especially effective when countering his opponents. All of those weapons were on full display in his last win, a fifth-round knockout over previously undefeated Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez on Aug. 3.

At 5-foot-10, he'll need to work his way to the inside if he's going to do any damage against the taller and longer Pacheco. Going to the body will also be crucial, though, that's a risky proposition against Pacheco.

Pacheco is a towering 6-foot-4 and knows how to use his physical attributes to his advantage. He has a stiff jab and straight right hand and also boasts a good right uppercut that can be a devastating weapon against shorter opponents.

Pacheco is also a good body puncher and has a strong left hook to the liver. Pacheco became the first person to stop Maciej Sulecki with that exact shot in the sixth round of their bout on Aug. 31.

The range at which the fight takes place will more than likely tell the tale. If Pacheco can keep Nelson at the end of his jab and straight right hand and catch Nelson on the way inside with uppercuts, things will more than likely be in his favor.

But if Nelson can turn it into a dog fight on the inside and constantly force Pacheco to try and hold him off, he'll have a chance to pull off the upset.