bet365's Rob Tebbutt offers his tips and predictions ahead of Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez's all-Mexican WBO super featherweight clash in Arizona.
Emanuel Navarrete v Oscar Valdez Tips
This weekend we will see the return of Emanuel Navarrete as he defends his WBO super featherweight title against two-weight world champion Oscar Valdez in Arizona.
A brilliant fight between two fighters who love to come forward and throw their hands, two Mexican warriors, and I'm expecting fireworks on Saturday night.
Navarrete, a three-weight world champion, but I do feel he has reached his physical peak in his last bout against Liam Wilson. He was dropped and hurt badly, before coming from behind to win that one.
We've seen Oscar Valdez last year comprehensively outboxed by Shakur Stevenson, but did get a good comeback win over Adam Lopez just a couple of months ago.
It's a really interesting fight, basically a pick 'em with Valdez the marginal betting favourite at 2/3.
For this reason I'm siding towards Navarrete, particularly by Decision at 3/1. I like the look of that price.
Navarette is not the same physical force he was down at super bantamweight and featherweight, however, and Valdez is a very tough, well-schooled operator who moves well and is slippery for as long as the fight goes.
I can't see a stoppage coming in from Navarrete, but having said that I could see a stoppage from Valdez who is one of the more dynamic punchers around featherweight and super-featherweight in recent years.
Valdez had that brilliant performance against Miguel Berchelt a couple of years ago, stunning him with a late knockout win in a fight that many people had Berchelt had as favourite going into the bout.
If Valdez can land clean just in the same way as Liam Wilson did, then a stoppage win for him at 5/1 isn't out of the realms of possibility at all.
Tebbutt's Tip
For me, I just think Navarrete may have learned his lessons from the Wilson fight, and that his size and awkwardness might be just a little bit too much for Valdez to overcome this weekend.
This is why I'm siding ever so slightly with Naverrete by Decision at 3/1, but if I'm betting on Valdez I'm looking at the stoppage at 7/2.
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