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Daniel Roman vs Murodjon Akhmadaliev Odds & Picks

Dylan Bowker

by Dylan Bowker in Boxing

Updated Mar 30, 2021 · 1:05 PM PDT

Boxing
Manny Pacquiao, center right, fights Adrien Broner in a WBA welterweight title boxing match in Las Vegas. A spokesman for Pacquiao says the famed fighter's Los Angeles home was robbed at about the time he was in the ring with rival Adrien Broner in Las Vegas. Spokesman Mike Quinn confirmed the burglary to NBC News. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
  • Roman vs Akhmadaliev goes Thursday, January 30th at 9 pm EST
  • Can Akhmadaliev score yet another blistering KO and stay unbeaten?
  • Roman looks to retain his championship belts and hand out Akhmadaliev’s first pro defeat

Roman vs Akhmadaliev goes down inside Meridian at Island Gardens on Thursday (Jan. 30, 9 pm ET) in Miami, Florida. The card overall is a varied effort with world-class fighters like Tevin Farmer and Jojo Diaz going at it. Also Youtubers Jake Paul and AnEsonGib are stepping into the ring. Akhmadaliev is an undefeated pugilist with an 86 percent knockout rate. Roman is looking to put the first blemish on his record while defending his titles in style. Check out the odds for this championship bout and my sweet science analysis below.

Roman vs Akhmadaliev Odds

Fighter Odds
Daniel Roman +200
Murodjon Akhmadaliev -260

Odds taken Jan. 26th.

The fight was initially scheduled to go down in September but an injury to Roman delayed those plans. Now it is finally coming to fruition. The WBA super bantamweight world title and IBF super bantamweight world title are up for grabs here. Roman stopped Shun Kubo in nine rounds to begin his run as champion. He secured the WBA title in that outing and then unified it with the IBF belt in April of this year. Roman will be defending against a man who defeated a teammate of his (Isaac Zarate). This could give the champion some unique insights on Akhmadaliev beyond what tape study could impart to him.

The Rise of the Fall of the Roman Empire?

Akhmadaliev was the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. People with an amateur background of that caliber usually have incredible ringcraft and unassailably solid technique. That’s a dangerous confluence to have the fight IQ coupled with the preternatural KO power. The southpaw challenger has a streak of four KO’s leading into this bout. Some people seem to be sleeping on Roman though. This is a man who has gone unbeaten for over six years, is riding a 19-fight win streak, and has put on several masterclass performances.

The challenger has a lot of momentum and this fight has historic implications. If Akhmadaliev defeats Roman, he will tie Leon Spinks as the fastest male unified world champion in history (eight fights). In that aforementioned Shun Kubo fight, Roman was able to halt an undefeated fighter’s progress momentarily. Time will tell if he can replicate that same kind of success against the challenger from Uzbekistan.

Roman vs Akhmadaliev Tale of the Tape

Roman
VS
Akhmadaliev
27-2-1 Record 7-0
10 Knockouts 6
5’5 Height 5’5
68″ Reach N/A
TJ Doheny, Gavin McDonnell, Moises Flores Significant Wins Wilner Soto, Carlos Carlson, Isaac Zarate
Orthodox Stance Southpaw

These men are looking to secure their place amongst the upper echelon of 122 lb-ers nowadays. Roman has never been knocked out as a pro. Both of his losses were via decision. This is an intriguing facet because as much as I’ve discussed Roman’s chances to put the first blemish on Akhmadaliev’s record, the challenger also has a chance to put the first KO loss on the champ’s record. I think Murodjon Akhmadaliev gets the stoppage victory inside of nine rounds.

Pick: Murodjon Akhmadaliev (-260)

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