Mikael Zewski had seen enough of Egidijus Kavaliauskas’ career to expect what was going to happen in his title bid versus one of the very best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

The same scouting report has the Quebec native confident of producing a similar result in their own head-to-head fight this weekend.

A welterweight crossroads bout is on top for this weekend’s ESPN+ headliner, as Zewski and Kavaliauskas collide this Saturday at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. The bout will mark the first ring appearance of the year for both boxers, though coming under different circumstances.

Kavaliauskas (21-1-1, 17KOs) enters having not won a fight since 2018, though also coming off of a strong showing even in defeat. The two-time Olympian from Lithuania gave Terence Crawford an early scare in their welterweight title fight last December, only to suffer a 9th round stoppage in his first career loss.

“I feel like he’s a very fast and strong fighter. He’s very explosive when he punches,” Zewski observed of his upcoming opponent during a recent media conference call. “On the other hand, he’s kind of slow. He likes to set his feet before he punches. He doesn’t like a guy who moves (laterally) and back and forth.

“I feel like mentally he can kind of give up. More than anything it was a mental loss because Crawford really broke him down mentally.” 

Zewski (34-1, 23KOs) was seated ringside for the bout, one month removed from having registered his eighth straight win and wondering when his own chance would come for a shot at either fighter.

That day has arrived and he feels like he couldn’t be more prepared for it.

“I know Egidijus Kavaliauskas. He’s fought on several of my undercards,” Zewski noted of his foe during a recent media conference call. “He’s a talented fighter, he’s been to the Olympics twice.

“He’s a solid fighter but he has some flaws that I believe I can exploit.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox