The Battle of the Baddest event is scheduled for tonight, with Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou due to fight each other as the main event.
The event is being hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the Boulevard Hall and is scheduled for 10-rounds.
I have previously posted my predictions on twitter, please refer to the following embed:
Some picks for tonight:
Joseph Parker vs Simon Kean: Joe Parker Decision
Martin Bakole vs Carlos Takam: Bakole TKO
Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Junior Anthony Wright: within 2-rounds
Fabio Wardley vs David Adaleye: Wardley TKO
Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou: within 6-rounds— LMGBoxFit (@LMGBoxFit) October 28, 2023
During the writing ,of this post, it was confirmed that Martin Bakole had indeed won by TKO.
Joseph Parker is 31 years-of-age, and his only stoppage defeat was to Joe Joyce, who was twice destroyed by Zhilei Zhang.
I’ve picked a decision here for Parker, as I predict that his hand-speed and combinations will render him able to out-box Simon Kean.
Makhmudov has been demolishing opponents at this level, and book-keepers think it’s a no brainer that he wins by early TKO.
I’ve picked within 2-rounds, as there was a slight edge in the odds on these rounds.
It has been reported that Wardley hasn’t been sparring as much as normal, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and can mean he could be more fresh.
However, the reduced amount of sparring was due to the cut suffered in the altercation with Adeleye’s entourage.
Adeleye has the edge in experience, but hasn’t performed strongly against decent opposition. Wardley was hurt, but went on to stop Eric Molina.
Eric Molina also had some success against Deontay Wilder, close to a decade ago.
Final Prediction
Finally, I’ve picked within 6-rounds for Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou, because I don’t think this fight will last before the half-way point.
Fury is the current WBC champion, and Ngannou is not experienced as a boxer; at least in the pro-ranks, even if he does have amateur experience.
I expect that Fury will land jabs comfortably, and eventually land powerful uppercuts as Ngannou tries to close the distance, stopping the fight.
Please refer to my picks located here