Our resident boxing expert Rob Tebbutt breaks down this weekend's WBC interim light heavyweight title bout between David Benavidez vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk and gives his picks and prediction for the fight.
David Benavidez has become one of the most exciting attractions in all of boxing: He goes out, lets his hands go and knocks fighters down regularly as we saw in his last two fights.
Benavidez is a spectacular offensive fighter, but this weekend's bout against Gvozdyk could cause him some problems as the Ukranian is a former WBC, The Ring, and lineal light-heavyweight champion.
Gvozdyk has only lost once in his professional career - to Artur Beterbiev in 2019 in a competitive fight - but that was a long time ago at this point.
I expect Gvozdyk, who has spent a lot of time away from the ring, to fade in the second half of the fight much like he did against Beterbiev, and the engine and punch output of Benavidez makes that even more likely.
Gvozdyk has boxed just three times since returning from his hiatus and I think that inactivity will play a factor as the rounds progress. Plus, Benavidez will feel fresh after over seven months off and, as a result of moving up in weight, physically strong.
This weekend, I think Benavidez will prove too much for Gvozdyk and that "The Mexican Monster" will wear down the Ukranian as the fight goes on.
I'm backing Benavidez to stop Gvozdyk and win by KO/TKO/DQ at -175, and I'll be looking a Benavidez to grind down Gvozdyk and win in rounds 7-12 at +125.
David Benavidez | Oleksandr Gvozdyk | |
Money Line | -600 | +400 |
To Win by KO/TKO/DQ | -175 | +800 |
To Win by Decision/Technical Decision | +260 | +900 |
Read David Benavidez vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk Tale of the Tape on site.
Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.