Margarito Considering Williams For 12/2

By Rick Reeno

A source close to the situation has informed BoxingScene that WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito is considering undefeated Paul Williams as his opponent on December 2. Williams is currently the mandatory challenger to Margarito's title.

Although Joshua Clottey has been slated as the opponent, nothing has been finalized and talks are ongoing with respect to facing Clottey and Williams. The camp of Margarito feel that by facing Williams, Margarito eliminates his mandatory and cashes in on the recent hype surrounding the bout.

Shakur vs Teofimo, Why Winning as the Underdog Is a BIG Deal Paulie & Algieri Break Down BIG FIGHT

In this episode, Paulie Malignaggi and Chris Algieri break down why winning as the underdog in a fight like this is such a big deal — not just for rankings, but for momentum, perception, and long-term stardom.

Saturday | Jan 31, 2026

Willaims has claimed that he busted Margarito up in sparring a few years ago, when he was helping Margarito prepare for a move to junior middleweight to face then champion Daniel Santos. Margarito has denied Williams' story and does not recall the sparring session taking place.

The December 2 show will be televised by Showtime, and headlined by undefeated Miguel Cotto, who makes his debut at 147 pounds. The rumored opponent for Cotto has been Oktay Urkal, with the vacant WBA welterweight title at stake. The main event is also facing hurdles as recent reports have come out that top-rated Carlos Quintana will not step aside to allow Cotto to face Urkal for the vacant WBA title.