Winner and Why
Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
I don’t believe we’re going to see much boxing in this fight, which is just the kind of job Ruslan Provodnikov is applying for. He is made for this match, and he is going to make Lucas Matthysse fight his fight.
I highly doubt Matthysse will send Provodnikov to the canvas. The only way I see this happening is with an extremely clean, devastating body shot, but I’m not convinced Matthysse’s timing and placement can pull that off. His greatest chance at victory is boxing and staying busier than Provodnikov, landing clean punches, and moving around the ring.
The greatest pull factor in picking Provodnikov is his chin. We know this will be a brawl, and I believe Provodnikov has the chin to engage in the exchanges without going down. Matthysse has this vulnerability, but will still not shy away from a good fight on the inside. Provodnikov gets the edge in this prediction, but Matthysse brings plenty to the table for a war we’re ready to see.
