Dominick Cruz has long wanted to regain his old title. Now that he’s healthy, the UFC is giving him an immediate shot at the title he never really lost in the first place.

The Dominator

Dominick Cruz has been on the sidelines for so long that it’s even hard to remember how he dominated MMA’s bantamweight division from 2010 to 2011. After winning the WEC bantamweight title with a 2nd round TKO of Brian Bowles at WEC 47 in March 2010, Cruz made two successful title defenses against Joseph Benavidez and Scott Jorgensen before the promotion merged with the UFC and Cruz was promoted as UFC Bantamweight champion. As the UFC’s first Bantanweight king, Cruz exacted revenge on Urijah Faber with a dominant UF win at UFC 132 and then followed that up with an impressive win over current UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. But just as when his legend started to grow, the Dominator fell prey to a series of injuries that would force the UFC to strip him of his title.

The Long Hiatus

After beating Demeterious Johnson, Cruz was booked to fight Faber in a rubbermatch at UFC 148 after Faber won a title eliminator bout against Bowles. But after coaching opposite each other at The Ultimate Fighter Live, Cruz suffered an ACL injury that forced him to withdraw from the highly anticipated grudgematch. What followed was a series of injuries that led to a long hiatus. Cruz underwent a second ACL surgery in December 2012 and then suffered a groin injury in January 2014 which finally forced the UFC to strip him of his title and promote interim UFC Bantamweight champion to full champion status. After being away from the sport for nearly three years, Cruz made a successful return at UFC 178 where he knocked out Takeya Mizugaki in just 61 seconds to earn Fight of the Night Honors and the next title shot. But once again, Cruz suffered an ACL injury on his other knee and was forced to sit out virtually the entire 2015. Now that he’s been given the go-signal, the UFC finally booked him for a title shot with T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Fight Night 81 on January 17th, 2016.

The New King

While Cruz was busy healing his injuries, T.J. Dillashaw went busy dominating the remaining bantamweight field. After shocking the world with a major upset of Renan Barao at UFC 173 last May 2014, Dillashaw has established himself as the current man to beat at Bantamweight. Ranked as the 5th best Pound for Pound fighter in the sport today, Dillashaw has made two successful defenses of his title including a one sided beat down of Barao in their rematch at UFC on Fox 16 last July 25, 2015. Dillashaw is the only man to beat Barao twice and convincingly both times via late TKO. Prior to losing to Dillashaw last May 2014, Barao went undefeated for nine years from 2005-2014, going 32-0 with 1 no contest. Barao had won 22 consecutive matches prior to his bout with Dillashaw but the Viper easily dominated him and erased his aura of invincibility. Dillashaw is 4-0 with 3 KOs since losing a close split decision to Raphael Assuncao in 2013. Dillashaw is 12-2 with 6 KOs and 3 submissions.

Battle Lines Have Been Drawn

After Dillashaw’s win over Barao last July, Cruz called him a “wannabe” who “stole” his fighting style. Dillashaw countered by promising to knock out Cruz “faster than Barao.” Now that the battle lines have been drawn, we have a great fight to look forward to and this one features probably the two most dominant champions in the history of the UFC’s bantamweight division.

Timothy Bradley hopes to continue his march back to the top when he faces Brandon Rios on November 7th at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Not a Title Fight

That bout however may not be for a world title as was earlier announced by Top Rank, who promotes both fighters. Bradley was recently give full champion status by the WBO after Floyd Mayweather officially vacated the belt he won from Manny Pacquiao last May. But Bradley, who won the interim title with a 12-round UD win over Jessie Vargas last June, was ordered by the WBO to a title fight against mandatory challenger #1 Sadam Ali. The WBO decreed that they will only sanction the Bradley-Rios bout should Ali agree to step aside and face the winner. Apparently, Golden Boy and Ali have other plans and are not interested in receiving a hefty bounty to wait for the winner. As it stands, the Bradley-Rios tussle isn’t a title fight, but it doesn’t mean it won’t be exciting. Bradley and Rios are two of the big-named fighters in boxing’s talent rich 147-pound weight class. Rios’ reckless and come-forward mentality should complement Bradley’s high-paced and all-action style. Both fighters have recently been on the downside but are one step closer to returning to the mainstream.

Redemption Road

Timothy Bradley went through hell after beating Manny Pacquiao in a highly controversial 12-round bout in 2012 and went to the point of fighting recklessly against Ruslan Provodnikov in his next fight to prove himself. Bradley beat Provo by UD in the Ring’s 2013 Fight of the Year but he almost paid dearly for it by almost getting knocked out. His next fight was against Pacman rival Juan Manuel Marquez whom he defeated by split decision. But still, the stigma of the Pacquiao fight refused to go away. There was only one way to erase it and that was to face Pacquiao again and beat him once and for all. The rematch happened in 2014 but it was Pacquiao who got the win and his revenge while Bradley was searching for redemption. The win against Vargas was a step closer to that goal, the fight against Rios should take him back to the top.

Getting a Second Chance

Rios himself should be looking at this fight as his second chance. After beating nemesis Mike Alvarado via 7th round TKO in Sport’s Illustrated’s 2012 Fight of the Year, he went 0-2 in 2013 and ended up getting suspended after failing a post-fight drug test following his encounter against Manny Pacquiao in Macau. 2014 was no better for Rios as his lone fight against Diego Gabriel Chaves turned out to be a very ugly DQ win. Rios’ career got a shot in the arm last January when he knocked out Alvarado in his hometown to win their grudge match and the minor WBO international welterweight title. But Rios failed to follow up that big win as it seemed he got “frozen” by his promoter. He was linked to a bout against IBF Welterweight champion Kell Brook but a dispute in the rematch clause killed that bout. When Bradley’s name was floated, Rios immediately took the bait as this could be the big break he’s long waited for.

Who Takes This?

Without a doubt, this fight will not be short of action and that is a guarantee. If styles make fights then this one should have Fight of the Year written all over it. Both men have been involved in former Fight of the Year winners and this one will surely not disappoint. Skill-wise however, it’s Tim Bradley who has the advantage. He is a more polished boxer who has the better technique. But we all know that Rios is all-heart and pure energy. He never backs down from any challenge and will surely take the fight to Bradley. It’s interesting to see what gives here.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. looks to tie the 49-0 record of the great Rocky Marciano when he faces  Andre Berto on September 12th, 2015 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Marciano Curse

On the cusp of tying the great Marciano’s unbeaten 49-0 record, Mayweather looks to erase once and for all what is known in boxing circles as the “Curse of Marciano”. Former champions Larry Holmes, Chris John and Paul Spadafora were in the same 48-0 boat as Mayweather, but all of them lost and failed to put themselves at par with one of boxing’s most hallowed records. But unlike those three, Mayweather has the biggest chance of equaling Marciano’s feat.

A Big Underdog

Boxing experts have criticized Mayweather’s choice of Berto as his next and perhaps final opponent. And rightfully, so because Berto has not done anything in the last five years to earn this fight. Sure, he started his career at 27-0 with 21 KOs, but he’s lost three of his last six bouts, including two to Robert Guerrero and Victor Ortiz whom Mayweather handily beat in the past. Because of these, Berto is one of the biggest underdogs in championship boxing history at 50-1. Even Buster Douglas was given a better shot at beating Mike Tyson in 1991, as he was a “mere” 42-1 underdog pick. With Berto being a longshot, Mayweather looks ready to ride into the sunset undefeated in a career which he calls TBE.

Last Ride?

Mayweather has repeatedly said that this will be his final fight as it is the final installment of the six fight contract which he signed with Showtime in 2013. Despite that, experts are looking at one more fight for Mayweather after this, not just to separate himself from Marciano at 50-0 and give his claim as TBE a boost, but to finance the luxurious lifestyle that he lives. Mayweather’s bank account is thicker than ever but he needs to keep it fat if he continues to spend $4.8M for a sports car and carry stacks of cash when he travels. Mayweather has said that there is nothing left to prove but in hindsight, there are millions more to earn once he becomes a promotional free agent after this fight and regardless of the PPV outcome of Mayweather-Berto.

Who Takes This?

As early as when this fight was made official, nobody gave Berto a chance. In fact, Mayweather opened at Bovada as a ridiculous 100-1 favorite. But don’t count Berto out because at age 31, he is not over the hill although his recent record looks to say that. He has nothing to lose but everything to gain and that’s a recipe for a shocker. Stat-wise though, Berto doesn’t throw enough punches to bother Mayweather. Although he clearly packs the punch that could hurt Money May, the question is whether he can land it consistently or land it at all. Mayweather is the master of the sweet science. He hits and doesn’t get hit. We all know how he neutralized sluggers like Pacquiao, Canelo and Cotto. There is no reason Berto will be any different. Experts are picking an easy 12-round win for Mayweather with high probability of a shutout in all three scorecards.

One of MMA’s most anticipated rematches is finally happening on September 5 as UFC Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson defends his belt for the seventh time against the #3 ranked contender John Dodson in the main event of UFC 191 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Mighty Mouse

Known as the Mighty Mouse for being the king of the UFC’s smallest weight class, Demetrious Johnson is the third best Pound for Pound Fighter in Mixed Martial Arts. Mighty Mouse hasn’t lost since competing in the 125 pound weight class. In fact, Johnson is the promotion’s first and only Flyweight champion after winning the inaugural UFC Flyweight tournament at UFC 152. Since capturing gold, Johnson has made six successive title defenses and has virtually been unchallenged except for that close shave at UFC on Fox 6 in January 2013 where he was taken to his limits by John Dodson.

The Magician

John Dodson is known as the Magician but there is no trick with his vaunted left hand. Dodson has 8 KOs in 17 wins and he overpowered Demetrious Johnson in the first two rounds of their first bout. However, Dodson slowed down in the later rounds and allowed Mighty Mouse to do his thing. Johnson ended up winning by unanimous decision but the scorecards were close: 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47. Since losing to Mighty Mouse, Dodson worked his way back to another title shot with three consecutive wins, two of which came via stoppage.

Who Takes This?

As with his previous six successful title defenses, Demetrious Johnson is the heavy favorite in this contest at minus 500 while Dodson is a plus 400 in most books. Mighty Mouse is the #3 ranked Pound for Pound fighter in the sport and what sets him apart is his stamina. Against Dodson in their first fight, he got nailed with a lot of big left hands and was dropped multiple times in round two. But while Dodson started to fade in the championship rounds, Mighty Mouse kept the pace and pressure and eventually wore down Dodson. Dodson has gone five rounds only twice in his career and has lost both bouts. If he can’t stop Johnson early, he may be in trouble again. Johnson has won five of his last six bouts via 5 round decision so there is no doubt who has the edge as the fights drags on. Experts are picking Mighty Mouse to win by decision, this time it should be on a much wider score.

Before we even settled down with the UFC’s choice of Holly Holm as Ronda Rousey’s next opponent, the Rousey-Holm saga took another turn when it was moved up from UFC 195 to UFC 193.

Robbie’s Loss, Ronda’s Gain

Following a thumb injury suffered by UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, which forced him to pull out from his title defense against Carlos Condit at the main event of UFC 193, UFC President Dana White announced last Friday that the UFC 195 headliner between Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm will replace the Lawler-Condit tussle. The reason, said White, is because they will attempt to break the UFC’s attendance record of 55,724 which was set at UFC 129 in Canada and was headlined by Georges St. Pierre against Jake Shields.

First Big Stadium Show

White considers UFC 193, which is scheduled for November 15th, as the promotion’s first Big Stadium show. It will be held at Australia’s Etihad Stadium in Melbourne which sits a capacity crowd of 56,000. But with the stadium designed as a playing field, the UFC may bring in more seats with just the Octagon at the center of the stadium. According to White, Rousey’s rousing success in Brazil at UFC 190 where she was well received even though she was fighting against a Brazilian opponent was a testament to her superstar status. He says that Rousey will “definitely” pack the Melbourne Stadium and break the All-Time attendance record.

Big Fight Card

Aside from Rousey, who will be without a doubt the top draw for the event, a heavyweight fight between former title challengers Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva will serve as appetizer as well as a middleweight showdown between the charismatic Michael Bisping against Robert Whitaker. A heavyweight bout between Stefan Struve and Jared Rosholt has also been added to beef up the fight card which is undoubtedly the biggest one put up in Australia, which the UFC considers as one of its most important international markets. The event will be shown via PPV on November 14th in the United States due to time zone difference. Rousey also proved her PPV worth as UFC 190 drew well over 900K buys, the UFC’s largest since UFC 168: Weidman-Silva 2, where Rousey co-headlined and topping Conor McGregor’s estimated 850K buys at UFC 189 earlier this year.

Solid Favorite

Rousey opened as a 12.5-1 favorite when the bout was announced.  From that -1250, the odds have further climbed to -1400 when the bout was moved forward. Holm wasn’t expecting to get the next crack at Rousey, as it was supposedly going to Miesha Tate. The former champion boxer was already about to sign up for a fight against another opponent when the Rousey fight came by. So if she wasn’t prepared to fight Rousey on January 2nd, she will have to adjust further to a shorter training camp with the fight now scheduled for November 12. It’s not easy to have a shortened camp much more an abbreviated one against the most dominating champion the sport has ever seen.

When Abner Mares and Leo Santa Cruz fight each other at the Staples Center on August 29th, it won’t be just another big fight; it will be a backyard fight.

Battle of Los Angeles

The Mares-Santa Cruz bout has been dubbed as the Battle of Los Angeles not because the fight is held at the Staples Center but because both men come from Los Angeles. But hometown isn’t the only common denominator between these two protagonists because both are also of Mexican descent, which may be the reasons why they fight like true warriors inside the ring. That is why fireworks are expected when L.A.’s two finest boxers will battle not just for the title of becoming the new Golden Boy of L.A. but for the bragging rights in California.

Chasing Mares

Leo Santa Cruz has been chasing Abner Mares in the weight classes, winning two of the world titles Mares vacated while moving up in weight. But while Mares always looked like he was one weight class ahead of Santa Cruz, everything changed when Abner Mares’ meteoric rise was halted by Jhonny Gonzalez in 2013. While Mares was left rebuilding his image, Leo Santa Cruz continued his assault on the divisions and has finally matched Mares’ weight class at 126 pounds. With a fight that has been talked about for years finally in sight, the Battle of Los Angeles was made.

Needing a Big Fight

Since Mares’ loss to Gonzalez, he has won three fights in a row. However, Mares has been unimpressive in facing subpar opponents. Similarly, Leo Santa Cruz’s last three fights have been criticized. Although he’s won all of those convincingly, questions on the quality of opposition have been raised. Because of these, the stocks of both Mares and Santa Cruz have taken a hit. With a chance to repair it with one big win, both decided the time to fight was now.

Who Takes this?

While the bout looks like a 50-50 split on paper, Santa Cruz is a slight betting favorite at minus 230 while Mares the underdog at plus 190. But don’t let those lines deceive you, this fight could go either way. Both are in their primes and are known as volume punchers with very high work rate.  Mares is a pressure fighter who wears down his opponents with consistent body work.  Likewise, Santa Cruz loves to come forward with very fast and accurate hands. Both of them have punching power and while a knockout cannot be discounted, many are expecting this to be an exciting, all-action 12 round affair which may have a sequel or two.

Whoever comes out of the gates firing will dictate the tempo of the fight. Whoever dictates the tempo will win this bout.  Given what’s at stake here, both men are expected to go all-out with guns blazing. Mares’ advantage is that he’s faced better opposition. Mares has tasted defeat before while Santa Cruz has never been tested.  It’s in these intangibles that we’re picking Mares to win by a very close decision.

UFC Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will make the seventh defense of her title against former boxing world champion Holly Holm at UFC 195 on January 2, 2016.

Pulled the Rug

The announcement came as a surprise after UFC President Dana White said last month that Rousey would be defending her title against nemesis Miesha Tate, who hacked out an impressive unanimous decision win over Jessica Eye last July. Tate is credited as being the only opponent to last more than one round with Rousey, taking the champion to the third round in their rematch at UFC 168 before getting submitted via armbar. Rousey also submitted Tate during their first encounter during the last Strikeforce bantamweight title bout in 2012. The Miesha Tate-Jessica Eye bout was supposed to be a #1 contender bout with the winner supposedly ending up as the challenger to the winner of Rousey-Correia. But the UFC pulled the rug from under Tate, and surprised many be announcing Holm as Rousey’s next challenger.

Best Female Striker in MMA

Rousey also announced the bout in an appearance at Good Morning America last Friday. She called Holm as the “most decorated stiker” in MMA and considered Holm as her “biggest challenge” to date. Holm is a former world champion boxer and was the Ring’s Female Fighter of the Year in 2005 and 2006. After having fought professionally for 13 years, Holm retired from boxing in 2013 to focus on MMA. She was signed by the UFC last year and has been 2-0 in the Octagon with decision wins over Raquel Pennington and Marion Reneau. Holm also won a kickboxing title in 2001, winning the IKF welterweight championship.

A Challenge, Finally?

While Rousey has been the most dominant champion the sport has ever seen, male or female, striking is one of the last aspects of the sport she has learned and mastered. Ronda is 12-0 with 12 stoppages but 9 of those have been by her signature armbar submission.  On the other hand, Holm Is 9-0 in her young MMA career and has six knockouts. Her experience as world champion in both boxing and kickboxing is a challenge Ronda Rousey hasn’t faced before. She will be the best striker Ronda Rousey will have ever faced in her MMA career but still, the betting odds disagree.

Rousey’s last three bouts have lasted a total of one minute and four seconds. This included the quickest recorded finish in UFC championship history during her 14-second submission of Cat Zingano at UFC 189. Overall, only Miesha Tate has lasted more than a round with Rousey. With this kind of dominance, Rousey opened as a minus 1450 favorite to beat Holm who is pegged as a plus 950 underdog. Had the UFC put Tate instead of Holm, Rousey would similarly have been a massive favorite a minus 1200.  With the wide margin, Rousey has been given a 93.55% probability of winning again.

*photo credit – mmajunkie.com

As if Gennady Golovkin versus David Lemiuex is not explosive enough, promoters have added a flyweight title bout between Roman Gonzalez and Brian Viloria.

Explosive Duo

Flyweight champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez announced his arrival in the US market with an auspicious HBO TV debut on May 16th at the Forum of Inglewood, California. Gonzalez easily dispatched of former junior flyweight champion Edgar Sosa by knocking him out in two brutal rounds. That fight was held in the undercard of Gennady Golovkin’s title bout against Willie Monroe which also ended via knockout. K2 Promotions and HBO liked the explosive duo fighting together in one card, hence when the title unification bout between Golovkin and Canadian David Lemieux was put to paper, they didn’t hesitate to put Chocolatito in the undercard.

Finding His Match

Adding Gonzalez as co-feature was a no brainer, however finding the right opponent for him was tricky. Like Golovkin, Gonzalez has left a destructive trail in the strawweight and junior flyweight divisions before moving up to flyweight in 2014. At 43-0 with 37 KOs, he’s virtually dominated every opponent he’s faced and has given his promoters a match-making headache in the process. Three fighters were initially considered for his next bout: Popular Puerto Rican flyweight McWilliams Arroyo, former junior flyweight champion Giovanni Segura of Mexico and then Viloria. In the end, promoters went with Viloria, a former two-division world champion and 2000 U.S. Olympian who’s faced the who’s who of the smaller weight classes.

The Hawaiian Punch

Known as the Hawaiian Punch for his birth place and punching power, Viloria barged into the world title picture with an explosive first round TKO win over erstwhile champion Eric Ortiz in 2005. After an unfortunate trilogy with Omar Nino, Viloria regained a piece of the flyweight title when he stunned Ulises Solis four years later. In 2011, when his career was almost given up for dead, Viloria won the WBO flyweight title against Julio Cesar Miranda and defended it thrice before losing to Juan Francisco Estrada in a close split decision in 2013. Since then, Viloria has won four bouts in a row three of which were by knockout.

A Fight to Remember

At 28, Chocolatito may be nearing his prime and is hands down the best fighter in his weight class. However, Viloria is still going strong at age 34 and has proven in the past that he can rise above adversity and win even if all odds are against him. Although a grizzled veteran, Viloria considers Gonzalez as his “toughest fight” ever but likewise he is the toughest opponent Chocolatito will have ever faced.  Viloria’s fight resume is incredibly tough and it’s what sets him apart from Gonzalez’s previous opponents.  Gonzalez has acknowledged that this will be a difficult fight for him but is confident that this is his time and he is ready for any challenge. GGG-Lemieux was hailed as one of the best matches made in years, and Gonzalez-Viloria has the potential to top that.

Looks like Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone won’t have to wait until February of 2016 to finally get his title sho,t nor is he going to move up to welterweight to keep himself busy.

Early Return

The UFC announced that UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos will defend his title against Cerrone on December 19th, 2015 in UFC on Fox fight card at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Dos Anjos won the title in dominant fashion against Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 last March 14th. However, Pettis hasn’t fought since then as he has been dealing with a partially torn left MCL which he suffered in the weeks leading to the Dos Anjos bout.  He was initially targeted to return in February of 2016 after surgery but has since avoided the knife as his knee has responded very well to physical therapy in the months he’s been inactive. Dos Anjos’ early availability has opened the doors for his rematch with Cerrone and first defense of the UFC lightweight title.

Long Overdue Rematch

The rematch between Dos Anjos and Cerrone was an easy fight to make as both men have been on a winning spree since the last time they met. Dos Anjos has won four fights in a row and nine of his last 10 bouts. His only loss during this period has been a three round UD defeat at the hands of #1 ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov last April. Nurmagomedov was supposed to fight Cerrone for a title contender match at UFC 187 last May, but that was called off as the former is still recuperating from a knee injury.

Most Active Fighter

On the other hand, Donald Cerrone had been promised a lightweight title shot after “Cowboy” has strung up eight consecutive wins, the longest active winning streak in the 155 pound weight class. During this stretch, Cerrone has recorded five finishes. He is the most active fighter in the UFC roster, having fought four times each in 2013 and 2014. Cerrone has also fought already thrice this year and the December 19th title shot will make him the first fighter in the UFC to fight four times in three consecutive years.

Can’t Wait

After battering John Makdessi to submission at UFC 187, Cerrone was guaranteed a title shot by UFC President Dana White. But since Dos Anjos was still nursing a knee injury at that time, the timetable given to Cerrone was February of 2016. At first Cerrone didn’t argue that but in August 11th, MMA’s Cowboy declared via Twitter that he cannot wait until February 2016 and that he needed to fight soon to stay active. Cerrone even considered moving up to 170 pounds if he couldn’t find a suitable opponent before the end of the year. That ultimatum has paid off and Cerrone won’t have to wait until 2016 to get his first shot at a world title.

Who Takes This?

Dos Anjos beat Cerrone in their first meeting in 2013 mainly because of Cerrone’s slow start. However, Cowboy says that it’s different in a five round bout because he has more rounds to work with. Although he admits that he is indeed a slow starter, Cerrone’s cardio is exceptional and he thinks this is the key against Dos Anjos. However, Dos Anjos has equally been impressive as of late, scoring beatdowns of Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz before pulverizing Anthony Pettis in five rounds. Without a doubt, the key to Dos Anjos in this fight is his knee and ring rust because Cerrone has the luxury of not having to worry about both. Cerrone should use them to his advantage and win his first ever title.

The PBC returns to Spike TV to showcase an interesting battle of two aging heavyweight contenders in Antonio Tarver and Steve Cunningham who will slug it out in a 12-round feature on August 14th, 2015 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Beating Rocky

Known in the movie circles as Mason Dixon, the man who beat Rocky Balboa in the last installment of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky series, Antonio Tarver isn’t just for reel. The Florida native is a former unified light-heavyweight champion who is known for winning his trilogy with the great Roy Jones Jr. Tarver won the 175-pound title three times before moving up to heavyweight where he has proven to have a solid chin. Tarver hasn’t gone down in the five bouts that he’s fought over 175 pounds.

His opponent is the inspiring Steve Cunningham, the former US Navy serviceman who is known in boxing circles as USS Cunningham for his stints at the aircraft carriers USS Kennedy and USS Enterprise. Cunningham was the 2014 Comeback Fighter of the Year by Sports Illustrated after dealing Amir Mansour his first career defeat. Cunningham came back from two knockdowns to win that fight. Outside the ring, Cunningham’s daughter Kennedy also scored a major victory when she completed a successful heart operation. Kennedy was born with a heart defect which doctors previously said was not curable. But the Cunninghams fought on and won. Now it’s the time for the former Cruiserweight champion to win inside the ring and pursue his heavyweight dreams.

The fight is interesting because both boxers are no longer spring chickens. Cunningham is 39 and Tarver is seven years his senior. But Tarver believes that he is destined to be heavyweight world champion. He’s eyeing Deontay Wilder or even Wladimir Klitschko after this bout. But he can’t take lightly the challenge of Steve Cunningham, who is also a former world champion and has a very good motive to beat him.

Who Takes This?

The lines are close in this fight with Cunningham the bettors’ slight favorite at -185 and the older Tarver a +150 underdog. At 46, Antonio Tarver no longer has the speed, stamina and reflexes that made him boxing’s “Magic Man”. But the old man has power in both hands. Tarver likes to work with his jab and set up his heavy combinations. He still has the smarts and boxing IQ to control his opponents and set them up for the kill. On the other hand, Cunningham has been dropped in three of his last four bouts. If he becomes a standing target for Tarver, he may be getting knocked out.

However, if Cunningham maximizes his 7-inch reach advantage and use his “younger” legs to move Tarver around the ring, he’s got a big shot at winning this fight. The key is to avoid Tarver’s power blows. Both boxers haven’t had much ring action in recent years, with Tarver tallying just a total of 31 rounds in the last four years and Cunningham just 84 rounds over that same period. Ring rust will be a factor but with their comebacks on the line, expect an explosive fight from these two senior citizens. Experts are picking Cunningham to win by decision.