O’Shaquie Foster vs. Abraham Nova Tale of the Tape

We analyze the credentials and statistics of O'Shaquie Foster and Abraham Nova before their WBC super-featherweight title fight at Madison Square Garden in February.

Foster showed great tenacity to come back from a losing points position to beat Eduardo Hernandez in his first defense of the title in October, when a strong finish, including two final-round knockdowns, dragged him back for a technical knockout win.

He knows he will not be able to rest easy against his determined opponent, who has recovered well from a first career loss against Cuban Robeisy Ramirez to claim two subsequent victories. Still, Nova will be conscious that he will have to be at the top of his game to stand a chance against the Texan.

Read more: O'Shaquie Foster vs Abraham Nova date, time, undercard, how to watch and more

Tale of the Tape

	O’Shaquie Foster	Abraham Nova
Odds	-700	+450
Age	30	30
Nickname	Ice Water	El Super
Height	5ft 8ins	5ft 8ins
Reach	72 ins	72 ins
Weight	Super-featherweight	Super-featherweight
Trainer	Bobby Benton	Jerrick Jones
Record	21-2 (12 KOs)	23-1 (16 KOs)
Last fight	Eduardo Hernandez (Won TKO, October 2023)	Jonathan Romero (Won KO, July 2023)

O'Shaquie Foster profile

O'Shaquie Foster will make his second defense of his WBC super-featherweight title against Abraham Nova, and the fighter from Orange, Texas, is set to go off a strong favorite at Madison Square Garden after winning his last 11 fights.

His last defeat came via split decision in an eight-round affair against Rolando Chinea, but he has grown in stature since winning this title with a unanimous points verdict over Rey Vargas in San Antonio almost a year ago.

Foster also showed his mettle by going to Mexico to fight Eduardo Hernandez in Hernandez's own backyard, but it was the power of his comeback which really caught the eye.

The champion looked to be well behind before recovering in the final round, flooring his opponent twice in the 12th and getting home via a technical knockout.

His career has been a strong development since he made his debut in September 2012 and has also claimed victories at lightweight before moving down again to his current category.

Foster knows what it's like to have a target on his back after four successful defenses of his WBA Silver title, which he claimed with an eighth-round knockout of Jesus Bravo in Costa Rica in 2019, and he will see this fight as a great chance to consolidate his position at the top of the tree.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Quick footwork	Not a heavy hitter
Adaptability against different styles	Just three fights in last three years
Can move in and out of range well	Quickest fight turnaround since 2018

Abraham Nova profile

Nova is also 30 years old but did not turn professional until 2016 after a prolific amateur career, which started at the age of 12. He was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Albany, New York.

He has honors to his name after winning the WBA-NABA super-featherweight title, which he still holds, having captured it in 2018.

That came after 12 initial professional successes, and the big hitter was impressive in beating Luis Castillo with a first-round knockout on his first defense.

However, this looks to be a massive step up in class for Nova, and it will be a concern that the only defeat on his resume came when he took on another fighter who was plainly on a higher level.

Cuban Robeisy Ramirez inflicted that first loss with the double Olympic champion seeing Nova off with a fifth-round knockout.

Nova can be explosive, as he demonstrated in his last fight when a third-round knockout of Jonathan Romero earned him this title shot, but a bout against a fighter with Foster's guile could prove to be a different matter altogether.

All odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation

Strengths	Weaknesses
Bright and energetic in the ring	Faces an excellent ring craftsman
Works well on the inside	Inexperienced compared to Foster
Hard puncher	It is a big step up in class

Odds mentioned in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.