Hamzah Sheeraz v Alem Begic Prediction and Tips

Britain's Hamzah Sheeraz has a chance to become a world champion on Saturday as he faces Alem Begic on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s bout with Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza.

This is Sheeraz's second attempt at a world belt and his first at super middleweight.

He challenged Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight strap in 2025, but that fight ended in a split decision draw and now he has a chance to snare the vacant WBO crown at 168 lbs.

Hamzah Sheeraz v Alem Begic Tips Preview

Sheeraz had a limited amateur career before making his debut in the paid ranks in 2017 with a second-round stoppage win over journeyman Duane Green, having signed up with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions as soon as he turned 18.

The Slough fighter put together a 9-0 record, with six stoppages, before making a real breakthrough by landing the WBO European super welterweight title by stopping Ryan Kelly in the sixth round.

Sheeraz defended that title four times before stepping up to middleweight and in 2024 he claimed a pair of eye-catching wins over the experienced Liam Williams and then the unbeaten Austin Williams to set up a title shot against Adames.

After beating Liam Williams in the first round and then stopping Austin Williams in the 11th he was the favourite going into his bout with Adames, but underwhelmed on the night and was arguably lucky to escape with an unbeaten record intact.

However, the step up to 168lbs looks to have been a wise move from Sheeraz and his team as he produced a career-best display against Edgar Berlanga on his US debut in his last bout.

Berlanga had only previously lost to Canelo Alvarez and that defeat came via unanimous decision.

It was billed as a match-up between two heavy hitters and was expected to be a fairly close fight, but Sheeraz bullied the Puerto Rican from the get-go and stopped Berlanga in the fifth round.

In the opposite corner, German veteran Begic brings and unbeaten record to the table, but this represents a massive step up in class for the 39-year-old.

Begic has 29 wins and one draw on his record but has largely campaigned in his native Germany and Austria.

He has held various regional and second tier titles and his best wins have been his most recent successes against the likes of Robert Tlatlik and previously unbeaten pair David Kerkmann and Mahdi Safdari, but Sheeraz is a few levels above any of his former opponents.

Hamzah Sheeraz v Alem Begic Tale of the Tape

	Hamzah Sheeraz	Alem Begic
Record:	22-0-1	29-0-1
Age:	26	39
Birthplace:	Slough, England	Munich, Germany
Height:	6' 3"	5' 11½"
Stance:	Orthodox	Orthodox
Last Fight:	Won (TKO) Edgar Berlanga (July 25)	Won (KO) Mahdi Safdari (April 25)
KO%:	81.82	79.31
Alias:	N/A	N/A

Hamzah Sheeraz v Alem Begic Top Tips

Hamzah Sheeraz to win in rounds 1-6 @ 8/13

Begic has never lost but he's also never fought at the highest level and he may find Sheeraz too much to cope with.

Sheeraz boasts significant height and reach advantages and is capable of overwhelming his opponents early.

The Briton only needed five rounds to overcome a dangerous puncher in Berlanga in his last bout, a win that feels even more impressive when you take into account the Puerto Rican had previously gone the full distance with pound-for-pound great Canelo.

Sheeraz is the heavy favourite and he can justify those odds with a dominant display and an early stoppage against Begic.

Hamzah Sheeraz to win in rounds 1-2 @ 10/3

Begic has spent the last few years fighting at European level and, when Sheeraz was battling for and defending those kinds of titles, he was picking up plenty of early wins.

The 26-year-old stopped Tyler Denny, Liam Williams, Dmytro Mytrofanov and River Wilson-Bent inside the first two rounds.

Begic may have no answer to a sustained Sheeraz onslaught and this contest could be brought to an end before the start of the third round if the Briton is at his best in Giza.

All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.