GGG vs. Martirosyan Prediction
Will Gennady Golovkin have any trouble dispatching Vanes Martirosyan when the two meet up later tonight for WBA, WBC and IBO Middleweight titles?
According to the latest oddsmakers Golovkin is the overwhelming favorite in this bout, as he is getting odds of -3000 to win. Martirosyan is listed with +1100 odds to prevail. Saturday’s main card will be airing live on HBO, starting at 11PM ET.
Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KO) is the hot name in boxing right now. The champ is coming off his first blemish last September in a split-decision draw with Canelo Alvarez. The two were set to have an immediate rematch, but Alvarez tested positive for a banned substance in March, forcing a change of opponent to Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KO). Martirosyan is getting his biggest opportunity to date, especially considering he hasn’t had much success in recent years, going 3-3 over his last six fights. His last fight actually came in May of 2016, a decision loss to Erislandy Lara.
GGG has been a dominant fighter throughout his career, scoring a number of quick finishes. Prior to his last two fights (both decisions), he had won 22 straight by finish. Along with his power, GGG has shown he has the endurance to go 12 rounds. He didn’t seem to lose a step against Canelo in the later rounds. He is definitely the better of the two fighters on paper. This is a big opportunity for the Armenian-American challenger. Despite dropping two of his last three fights and three of his last six, he finds himself with a chance to score one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. As Martirosyan has stepped up in competition over the years, his finishing ability has faded and he hasn’t been able to out-point his top opponents.
The odds aren’t in position where betting on GGG straight up has much value. You could roll the dice on a big upset and possibly land a nice payout, but I don’t see GGG slipping up here. The better option may be to consider an over/under of 8.5 rounds. The under is at -220. I think GGG has the ability to finish this fight relatively quickly. If the upset were to happen, it’s likely going to have to be a quick KO.
BOXING PREDICTION: GGG/MARTIROSYAN UNDER 8.5 ROUNDS