Beterbiev Johnson Odds

Callum Johnson is out to become Britain’s next world champion.

‘The One’ faces light-heavyweight champ Artur Beterbiev in Chicago, a week after his gym-mate Callum Smith defeated George Groves to grab his own world title belt.

Fight odds: Artur Beterbiev -105 Oleksandr Gvozdyk -125. Fanduel Boxing Pick Artur Beterbiev vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Artur Beterbiev will face Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Philadelphia for the WBC and IBF Light Heavyweight Titles at 175 lbs. It is a unification bout as Beterbiev holds the IBF Title and Gvozdyk holds the WBC Title. Johnson, 34, says he views the undefeated Beterbiev as a “freak of nature” and the best fighter in the 175-pound weight class today. He picks Beterbiev to beat Bivol as well as undefeated. Johnson dedicated his win earlier this year to his dad, who passed away in 2016, and the admits that he will be in the forefront of his mind were he to upset he odds and defeat Beterbiev in a few weeks time.

Beterbiev is making the first defence of his crown and has a glittering amateur career behind him, which saw him win two World and one European Championships.

Callum Johnson is out to become Britain’s next world champion. ‘The One’ faces light-heavyweight champ Artur Beterbiev in Chicago, a week after his gym-mate Callum Smith defeated. Johnson, an undefeated Englishman with an impressive 17-0 record, is the underdog walking into the bout, though he has expressed confidence that he will pull off the upset against the 12-0 Beterbiev.

The Russian is a fearsome competitor, knocking out Enrico Kölling last November in the final round of their California scrap to take the IBF strap.

When is Beterbiev vs Johnson?

Beterbiev Johnson Odds College Football

This world title showdown is slated for Saturday, October 6.

Get the coffee ready as the fight will be in the early hours of Sunday morning here in the UK.

Expect Callum to ring-walk at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago around 3am.

How can I listen on talkSPORT?

Here on talkSPORT we will bring you exclusive live commentary of The One’s world title shot.

Tune in from 1am as we talk you through all the action from the Chicago card.

Use our web player or mobile apps if you’re on the move, whilst you can also find us on your DAB Radio and 1089AM.

Who else is fighting on the bill?

The fight is on the card of Jessie Vargas vs Thomas Dulerme, as the pair battle it out for the vacant WBC Silver welterweight title.

Here’s how the night shapes up in Chicago:

• Jessi Vargas vs Thomas Dulorme (12 x 3 mins welterweight)
• Jarrell Miller vs Tomasz Adamek (12 x 3 mins heavyweight) *LIVE ON TALKSPORT
• Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Johnson (12 x 3 mins IBF world light-heavyweight championship)*LIVE ON TALKSPORT
• Daniel Roman vs Gavin McDonnell (12 x 3 mins WBA world super-bantamweight championship) *LIVE ON TALKSPORT
• Anthony Sims Jr vs Mario Aguilar (10 x 3 mins light-heavyweight)
• Erica Farias vs Jessica McCaskill (10 x 2 mins WBC world super-lightweight championship)
• Nkosi Solomon vs Matt Cameron (4 x 3 mins heavyweight)
• Nikita Ababiy vs Jake Henrickson (4 x 3 mins middleweight)
• Reshat Mati vs Adan Ahumada (4 x 3 mins welterweight)
• Shawn Simpson vs Francisco Javier Lapizco

Tune into talkSPORT on exclusive commentary from 1am on Sunday morning to hear Callum Johnson’s world title showdown, as well as Daniel Roman vs Gavin McDonnell and Jarrell Miller vs Tomasz Adamek

On Friday, October 18^th, Top Rank Boxing presents an exciting card featuring a light heavyweight unification bout live from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The main event of the night is a battle of undefeated champs looking to become the best in the light heavyweight division.

Artur Beterbiev (14-0, 14 KOs) will put his IBF title on the line against Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-0, 14 KOs) who will also put his WBC title on the line. The winner will walk away with two belts, become the top ranked light heavyweight in the division, and remain undefeated.

The co-main event of the evening is a welterweight clash between former WBA champ Luis Collazo and the undefeated Kudratillo Abdukakhorov who is the No. 1 ranked contender for the IBF welterweight belt currently held by Errol Spence Jr.

In total, there are at least eight fights scheduled for this event. As always, the card is subject to change. The preliminary bouts will begin at 7 PM ET and stream live on ESPN+. The main card is set to start at 10 PM ET and will air live on ESPN.

Sites that offer boxing odds have released odds for a limited number of fights on this card. Let’s take a look at those available odds, identify potential value, and KO our picks.

Only 1️⃣ will leave unified. #BeterbievNail Oct. 18 @espnpic.twitter.com/wKzMHehQav

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 1, 2019

Luis Collazo (39-7, 20 KOs) vs Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (16-0, 9 KOs)

• Luis Collazo (+450)
• Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (-833)

Collazo comes in as a notable underdog in this contest. He was a betting favorite in his last two fights and hasn’t been an underdog since his February 2017.

Kudratillo Abdukakhorov is a large betting favorite and rightfully so considering he’s the younger fighter and still undefeated. In his last fight against Obara, Kudratillo Abdukakhorov was a massive -5000 betting favorite.

Some pundits think this is Abdukakhorov’s toughest fight to date if you believe that as well, then a small flier on Collazo could be warranted. Otherwise, Abdukakhorov offers no value.

Collazo vs Gvozdyk Preview

Boxer	Luis Collazo	Kudratillo Abdukakhorov
Age	38	26
Height	5’9”	5’9.5”
Reach	72”	—
Total Fights	46	16
Record	39-7	16-0
Knockouts	20	9

Initially, Luis Collazo was being lined up for a fight against one of the top welterweight title contenders in Joseph Benavidez Jr. That fight was to take place on August 17^th, but Benavidez suffered a leg injury and was forced to pull out.

Collazo was able to move on to another title contender in Kudratillo Abdukakhorov, albeit this fight is not as high profile as the Benavidez bout. With that said, Collazo still promises to put on an incredible performance in front of the Philly crowd:

“I’m just ready to go. The Jose Benavidez Jr. fight didn’t happen because he was hurt or whatever, but trust me, you are going to see an incredible performance that will steal the show on Oct. 18. I’m coming for everything. It’s now or never. I can’t wait to show out in the great city of Philadelphia.”

Collazo last fought in March against Samuel Vargas and won via split decision. It was the third straight win for Collazo since losing to Keith Thurman four years ago.

Collazo is an experienced veteran with plenty of big fights on his resume. In addition to Thurman, he’s also fought Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Andre Berto, Victor Ortiz, and Amir Khan. Unfortunately, he went 1-4 in this big fights.

Nevertheless, those elite fighters are the only ones that Collazo has had an issue with. Opponents at the same level or lower than him haven’t caused any real issues for the former champ.

Abdukakhorov last fought in March and cruised to a unanimous decision win over Keita Obara in what was considered an IBF title eliminator fight. The win bumped Abdukakhorov up to the No. 1 contender spot for a shot at Errol Spence Jr., who holds the IBF title and the WBC title.

Kudratillo Abdukakhorov is also ranked 11^th in the WBO and 6^th in the WBC standings. A win this weekend could see him jump up into the Top 5 for the WBC, which would make him even more credible for a shot at Spence.

As for this fight, Abdukakhorov respects Collazo, but feels the age difference will be a factor in the outcome:

“I am looking forward to showcasing my talent to the world. This will be a great fight, as Luis Collazo is someone who comes and gives 100 percent every fight and his aggressive style is adored by many fans. He has the heart of a true warrior. I do believe his age will be a factor, and I will try to capitalize on it. I am coming to this fight with every intention of beating him to cement my status as the mandatory for the IBF world title.”

Who Wins the Co-Main Event Clash?

This fight is a bit tougher to predict than what the online betting sites believe. Abdukakhorov is a solid fighter with plenty of skills to win this contest. He’s tough, can take a punch, applies pressure and has good fundamentals.

Collazo is a former world champ with plenty of big fights on his resume. He’s taken on many top welterweights of his era and doesn’t back down from a fight. But, like Abdukakhorov said, at 38 years old, I believe that Collazo’s age will be a factor in the outcome of this bout.

I’m going with Abdukakhorov to win this fight via unanimous decision. I don’t expect him to walk over Collazo like he did with Obara. But, he’s 12 years younger, more athletic and is still entering the prime of his career. He’s overvalued in this contest, so I don’t feel he’s worth a wager. But, I do see him winning.

Artur Beterbiev (14-0, 14 KOs) vs Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-0, 14 KOs)

• Artur Beterbiev (+100)
• Oleksandr Gvozdyk (-120)

This is about as close as you can get for odds in a main event, title unification bout. Two undefeated champions are stepping into the ring to determine who the best man is. Both fighters offer betting value regardless of who you think will win.

Gvozdyk last fought in March and was a massive -8500 betting favorite against Ngumbu. In his fight last December against Stevenson, Gvozdyk was a -175 favorite. It’s been many years since Oleksandr has been an underdog.

For Beterbiev this is the first time in at least five years since he’s been considered the underdog. Before this fight, he’s been a betting favorite of at least -1200 in every fight. He topped the -5500 mark three times and the -10000 mark on two occasions.

Beterbiev vs Gvozdyk Preview

Boxer	Artur Beterbiev	Oleksandr Gvozdyk
Age	34	32
Height	5’11.5”	6’2”
Reach	73”	75.5”
Total Fights	14	17
Record	14-0	17-0
Knockouts	14	14

According to The Ring, Oleksandr Gvozdyk is the No. 1 ranked light heavyweight in the world. He’s followed by Sergey Kovalev, Dmitry Bivol and then Artur Beterbiev. ESPN also has the same order of the Top 4 light heavyweight fighters.

Another interesting note coming into this fight is the fact that these two boxers fought against each other 10 years ago in a tournament that took place in Turkey. Beterbiev was a top amateur fighter while Gvozdyk was just starting with the national team.

Beterbiev won that fight via second-round stoppage. According to Gvozdyk it was due to having a broken nose. Additionally, he feels that their first encounter was so long ago that it doesn’t matter as they both are different fighters now:

“They threw me in there like a victim into a tiger’s cage. Objectively speaking, I was not ready for that fight – neither mentally nor physically. Plus, ten days before him, my nose was broken – I did not train and did not intend to box at all. They asked to go out for this, to gain further experience. I perfectly understand who I have to face now. This is a serious puncher. We will fight.”

For Gvozdyk he’s faced some adversity over the last year. In March, he easily defeated Doudou Ngumbu via 5^th round TKO. It was a nice bounce-back win after the tragic outcome that overshadowed his win against Adonis Stevenson last December.

In that fight, Gvozdyk beat Stevenson so badly that Adonis ended up needing brain surgery after suffering severe head trauma in this fight. The outcome weighed on Gvozdyk for a time. However, he was able to put it behind him once Stevenson began his miraculous recovery.

Gvozdyk has an 82.5% knockout rate as he’s stopped 14 of his 17 opponents. Nineteen months ago, it was his last fight to go to a decision when he defeated Mehdi Amar for the interim WBC title. Once he became full WBC champ, following the Stevenson win, Gvozdyk has set out to unify the belts:

“My first goal was to win a light heavyweight world title. Now, I want to unify the belts, and that mission starts with Artur Beterbiev. This is going to be a spectacular fight, one that the fans will enjoy. The fans asked for this fight, and we will deliver. One thing I know is that I will be the unified champion. I have the best trainer, Teddy Atlas, in my corner. This is our third fight together, and under his guidance, I will continue to get better.”

Beterbiev is a Knockout Machine

Beterbiev has a perfect knockout rate as all 14 of his professional fights have ended with him stopping his opponents. In May, he KO’d Kalajdzic in the 5^th round. A year ago, in his first title defense, he stopped Callum Johnson in the 4^th round. Johnson is ranked in the Top 15 with the IBF, WBC, and WBA.

The closest that Beterbiev has come to not scoring a TKO/KO was in a fight against Enrico Koelling for the vacant IBF title nearly two years ago. Beterbiev scored the KO with 27 seconds left in the fight. Other than the Koelling fight, none of Beterbiev’s contests have gone beyond the 7^th round.

Having a perfect KO record is an incredible accomplishment for the 34-year-old champ. Not to mention, his two title defenses have lasted a total of nine rounds before his challengers were knocked out.

Being the professional that he is, Beterbiev isn’t bragging about his knockout percentage or even saying he will KO Gvozdyk. Instead, he’s been respectful and thankful for the opportunity:

“I wish to thank Top Rank and my opponent, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, for making this unification bout possible and giving the fans around the world what they want. This will be a great fight between the two champions who aspire to become the undisputed light heavyweight world champion. I am looking forward to stepping into the ring on October 18.”

FIGHT WEEK IS HERE!!

Champ vs. Champ. The Best vs. The Best. Predictions?? #BeterbievNail FRIDAY ESPN pic.twitter.com/p83vfN9KBX

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 14, 2019

Who Will Win This Title Unification Bout?

Make no mistake about it; this is a fight of the year candidate. I know we hear promoters say this a lot, but this fight is bout is different. We have two undefeated champs, both in their prime, and both capable of wiping out the entire light heavyweight division after a win on Friday.

Furthermore, both men aren’t afraid to go to war inside the ring; they both can take a punch. They both have that killer instinct with a combined 28 knockouts in 31 total fights.

For Gvozdyk to win, he will need to stay on the outside and use both his height and reach advantages. At just two years younger than Beterbiev, that’s not enough of a gap to make a difference in this fight.

For Beterbiev to win, he’s going to have to close the distance and keep this fight nice and tight, whether that’s pushing Gvozdyk toward the ropes and corners, or exchanging punches in the middle of the ring. Either way, a close quarter’s fight benefits Beterbiev, who has a slight power advantage.

So, the question comes down to whether Beterbiev can cut down the ring and smother Gvozdyk or will Oleksandr use this footwork and technical skills out outpoint his foe?

I’ve gone back and forth over this outcome since it’s been announced. As we get closer to the fight, I find myself leaning toward Beterbiev to win this bout. I believe he will eat the punches necessary to close the distance and then cause some damage.

Stevenson was ahead in the fight against Gvozdyk before the stoppage. Beterbiev has never been behind in his fights and continues to plow through the competition. I like his fearlessness, and I’m taking him to win via split decision.

BETERBIEV-GVOZDYK

@ABeterbiev
@AlexandrGvozdyk
IBF/WBC & 'Ring' Magazine
31-0 Combined Records
28 KO's

… Who are you picking in this weekend's mouthwatering light heavyweight unification?

SIGN UP HERE: https://t.co/Afi0JwUlhA#Boxing#BeterbievNailpic.twitter.com/xWVUJIac1S

— Boxing Social (@boxing_social) October 14, 2019

Bivol Wants Winner of Beterbiev vs Gvozdyk

As mentioned above, both ESPN and The Ring have Dmitry Bivol listed as the No. 3 ranked light heavyweight. He’s two spots behind Gvozdyk, but one spot ahead of Beterbiev.

Bivol is the reigning WBA super world light heavyweight champion and is coming off an easy win over Lenin Castillo, who was ranked 15th in the WBA. Bivol won every round of their fight and scored a knockdown in his unanimous decision victory last weekend.

Following the win, Bivol has turned his sights to big-name opponents. The WBA champ has publicly challenged the winner of the Beterbiev vs Gvozdyk fight:

“I want fight the winner of Gvozdyk-Beterbiev or Canelo-Kovalev. I can fight them now because I won today. Why can’t I get the winner of Gvozdyk-Beterbiev? We are in the same division.”

Bivol would be the underdog against the winner of Beterbiev and Gvozdyk. Both men would be the bigger fighter and they have both the power and skills to defeat Bivol. Not to mention, they both want to collect more titles within the division.

Things are heating up in the light heavyweight division. Between 2019 and 2020, this division is going to be on fire with the fans, the sport and the elite fighters.

Quick Boxing Predictions

Without any betting odds as of this writing, here are some quick predictions for the other notable fights on this card:

Michael Seals (23-2, 17 KOs) vs Elio Heraldo Trosch (14-8-2, 7 KOs)

This light heavyweight bout is scheduled for 10 rounds, but I doubt it gets that far. Although he’s 37 years old, Seals is still a much better fighter than Trosch will ever be. Seals has won three straight contests including his last fight in June where he won via 2^nd round KO.

Beterbiev Johnson Odds Ufc

Seals has become a decent undercard fighter, but I doubt he rises much higher than that. He continues to fight opponents that have very little hype or credibility.

Trosch is nothing more than a glorified punching bag who has lost two straight fights and is 1-3-1 in his last five bouts. Four of his eight losses have been by way of TKO/KO and I see him getting his 5^th.

Seals might not have the skills or the youth to rise up the ranks, but he has the tenacity and the power to finish this fight inside the distance. I believe he will score the TKO in this contest.

Joseph Adorno (13-0, 11 KOs) vs Damian Alejandro Sosa (9-2, 7 KOs)

Lightweight prospect Joseph Adorno, from nearby Allentown, will look to draw inspiration from the Philly fans as he attempts to improve his record to 14-0. He last fought in July and won via 2^nd round KO. That was the 11^th KO win of his career, which bumped him up to an 84.62% knockout rate.

Nine of his knockouts have been two rounds or less. This will be his third fight in 2019, but it could be one of the toughest if he’s not smart.

Sosa, age 29, last fought in July and lost via unanimous decision. In fact, he’s dropped two of his last three fights. Both of them have come via decision. However, Sosa has never been knocked out in 11 pro fights, which Adorno will surely try to test that streak.

Adorno is clearly the better fighter in this matchup, but it’s unclear if he can get the stoppage in this eight-round contest. Either way, I expect Adorno to put on a strong performance and remain undefeated.

.@SonnyConto, one of boxing’s top young Heavyweight prospects, took some time to inspire the next generation in Philly today at the city’s Columbus Day parade.

Conto fights on home soil Friday night on the #BeterbievNail undercard on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/JAiMVNJrct

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 14, 2019

Sonny Conto (4-0, 3 KOs) vs Steven Lyons (5-5, 2 KOs)

Heavyweight prospect Sonny Conto will look to get his 5^th win in front of his hometown fans. Conto, age 23, has put in some sparring work with Tyson Fury and Kubrat Pulev to improve his skills. He will now get to go out there in his hometown to take on Steven Lyons in a four-round affair.

Lyons has lost two straight fights and three of his last four. After starting 2-0, Lyons has lost five of eight contests. At age 30, Lyons is nothing more than a warm body for Conto to punch and hone his craft.

Three of Lyons’ five losses have come via KO/TKO, so I expect him to get his 4^th this weekend. Conto has earned three KO wins in his four fights. I see no reason why he can’t get his 4^th career KO victory this Friday. Conto is a young prospect, while Lyons is a walking punching bag.

Beterbiev Johnson Odds Nfl

Final Thoughts on Beterbiev vs Gvozdyk

This Top Rank Boxing event is all about the light heavyweight unification title fight. The rest of the card is filler until the two undefeated champs walk to the ring and go to war. I’m fired up for this contest and I do agree that this could be a candidate for fight of the year.

This fight also offers great betting value as both men are nearly even in odds. The co-main event could be a candidate for a small flier on Collazo, while his opponent Abdukakhorov is overvalued.

With this fight, and the Alvarez vs Kovalev bout, the light heavyweight division is shaping up to be an exciting weight class over the next year. And, that all begins with this exciting unification bout on Friday.

Full Card for Gvozdyk vs Beterbiev

The following Gvozdyk vs Beterbiev boxing card is according of ESPN:

• Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs Artur Beterbiev in a 12 round light heavyweight title fight
• Luis Collazo vs Kudratillo Abdukakhorov in a 10 round welterweight bout
• Michael Seals vs Elio Heraldo Trosch in a 10 round light heavyweight clash
• Josue Vargas vs Johnny Rodriguez in an 8 round junior welterweight fight
• John Bauza vs Donald Ward in an 8 round junior welterweight bout
• Joseph Adorno vs Damian Alejandro Sosa in an 8 round lightweight contest
• Julian Rodriguez vs TBA in an 8 round junior welterweight clash
• Jeremy Adorno vs Misael Reyes in a 4 round junior featherweight bout
• Sonny Conto vs Steven Lyons in a 4 round heavyweight fight

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