Michael Conlan is one of the top prospects in all of boxing. He’s slowly and steadily taking on more difficult assignments, and that’s what Ruben Garcia Hernandez represents to him on Sunday. Hernandez has faced world champions, and the level of talent he represents should give Conlan—a two-time Irish Olympian—a solid test. The Conlan vs. Hernandez fight can be streamed live on ESPN+ for free, and because Conlan is a potential future star, it’s certainly worth checking out.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Conlan vs. Hernandez live stream.
Michael Conlan vs. Ruben Garcia Hernandez
- When: Sunday, March 17 at 6pm ET
- Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City
- Streaming: ESPN+ (free with one-week trial)
Michael Conlan vs. Ruben Garcia Hernandez live stream: How to watch ESPN+ boxing for free
Conlan is one of the young fighters in the sport who can benefit most from the new wave of OTT services who are televising boxing, namely DAZN, ESPN+, and occasionally Showtime. Conlan is promoted by Top Rank, which has entered into a deal with ESPN for dozens of fights per year on the main network and its subscription streaming service. It allows talented prospects like Shakur Stevenson, Conlan, and some of the best fighters in the world, such as Terence Crawford and Vasiliy Lomachenko, to be featured regularly. It’s been a great boon for boxing fans.
What is ESPN+?
ESPN+ is the cheapest way to stream boxing on a monthly basis. Subscribers pay $4.99 per month or $49.99 for the year, and you can cancel at any time. ESPN+ gives you a free one-week trial, so you can watch Sunday’s action between Conlan and Hernandez without paying a cent.
ESPN+ is basically an extension of the main ESPN app, and it shows original programming and plenty of live sports that you normally don’t see on the family of ESPN networks. The ESPN+ exclusive content is designated by the “E+” logo in the corner of the preview tile.
The ESPN+ app is available on Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Google Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, and iOS and Android devices. Aside from boxing, you can stream NHL games, along with thousands of college sports broadcasts, domestic and international soccer matches, and the entire catalog of 30 for 30 documentaries.
Michael Conlan vs. Ruben Garcia Hernandez: Why it matters
Conlan (10-0, 6 knockouts) is an enormous betting favorite to beat Hernandez. He’s a -10000 favorite, meaning you’d have to wager $10,000 to win a paltry $100. But Hernandez (24-3-2, 10 KOs) is potentially dangerous. He has plenty of experience, losing to the likes of Nonito Donaire (once considered one of the best boxers in the world) and former prospect Randy Caballero. He could create the most discomfort for Conlan yet.
“This is a nice step up in class,” Conlan told the Daily Dot. “It’s an opponent who has been in with some top guys. It’s a good test, because he’s been in with some good fighters. I know he’s tough and I know he’s strong and very durable. I can’t give him any confidence in the fight, because people with confidence, they’ll overperform. My objective is to take away his confidence very quickly.”
In reality, this is another showcase for Conlan. For the third straight year, he’s headlining a St. Patrick’s Day show at Madison Square Garden. Former boxing superstar Miguel Cotto drew plenty of fame for his annual boxing matches at Madison Square Garden during the Puerto Rican Day Parade celebration, and for the past few years, Mexican star Canelo Alvarez has made sure to fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Conlan is becoming the Irish version of those two fighters.
“I love what Top Rank did with [Cotto] in New York,” Conlan said, referring to the promoter he and Cotto shared. “That’s one of the things we spoke about when we [negotiated] contracts. I wanted to do St. Patrick’s Day in New York. There’s tons of Irish in New York. It’s my home away from my home.”
Before he turned pro, Conlan was best probably best known as the Olympian who flipped off the judges after they gave him a decision with which he disagreed. So far, he’s perfect as a pro, and on Sunday, he aims to keep his record that way.
Michael Conlan vs. Ruben Garcia Hernandez live stream
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