Miguel Berchelt vs Oscar Valdez Odds and Pick
- Miguel Berchelt vs Oscar Valdez goes Saturday, February 20th at 10 PM ET
- Who leaves the ring this weekend as the WBC world champion?
- Check out the fight odds, analysis, and predictions below
Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez will face off inside the ring in this Top Rank main event. Berchelt vs Valdez goes live from The Bubble at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, and broadcasts on ESPN.
The WBC super featherweight title is being contested with Berchelt as the champion and Valdez as the challenger.
Miguel Berchelt vs Oscar Valdez Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Miguel Berchelt | -435 |
| Oscar Valdez | +285 |
Odds taken Feb. 17 at DraftKings
In the eyes of many, Berchelt vs Valdez has the potential to be not just a fight of the year candidate but possibly one of the all-time great displays of fistic fireworks.
Miguel Berchelt’s Championship Resume
Berchelt has maintained his hold on the gold for over four years now. He halted Francisco Vargas in the 11th round and wrested the WBC belt from his clutches during their January 2017 prizefight.
Miguel Berchelt has not altered his style post-title win as some champions do where the approach is more conservative and mindful of preserving the belt.
Berchelt has maintained a high octane, finish-heavy style across several title defenses, including highlight reel wins over Miguel Roman and Jason Sosa.
Berchelt vs Valdez has compounded importance because it’s not just the vaunted WBC crown on the line but also there is the possibility of some massive title unification bouts later in the year for the victor here.
Oscar Valdez’s Pedigree as a Title Contender
Oscar Valdez is a multi-time Olympian he has a spotless record as a pro pugilist and is seeking out world champion accolades across multiple divisions.
Valdez was the featherweight champ in late 2019 but vacated that WBO hardware after six successful defenses to pursue championship aspirations in a higher weight category.
This is his third bout at super featherweight, and Valdez has been preparing with an individual who many see as the current number one pound for pound ranked fighter in the sport.
.@Canelo and @OscarValdez56 look ready for their upcoming title fights 🥊 pic.twitter.com/070GbGdHlO
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) February 12, 2021
Each competitor has been eyeing a matchup with the other since their amateur days. Berchelt has a single defeat as a pro but has not lost in seven years.
Miguel Berchelt has a meaningful reach advantage as he has nearly half a foot of wingspan over Oscar Valdez. I think this advantage coupled with being the bigger man and having the deeper resume will serve Berchelt well this weekend.
Berchelt vs Valdez Tale of the Tape
| 37-1 | Record | 28-0 |
| 33 | Knockouts | 22 |
| 5’7 | Height | 5’5.5 |
| 71.5″ | Reach | 66″ |
| Jonathan Victor Barros, Francisco Vargas, Takashi Miura | Significant Wins | Scott Quigg, Miguel Marriaga, Genesis Servania |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
Most articles out there that curate expert opinions on the outcome of this bout show near-ubiquity in the notion this fight ends in a knockout.
I am in agreeance with that and do not see this twelve-round contest getting to the final bell. Valdez will need to maintain defensive savvy, so he is not blasted by his bigger opponent and can be offensively impactful enough to gain Berchelt’s respect and cause the champ to take a backstep.
Ultimately I think when Berchelt vs Valdez goes down, the latter will end up getting stopped by the former. I think there’s good value in pursuing prop bets on this contest not going the distance (-265) and Berchelt winning by KO or TKO (-162).
Pick: Miguel Berchelt (-435)
A part-time writer and full-time broadcaster, Dylan has hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, and covered some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage.
