Former two division world champion Timothy Bradley is not ruling out the possibility of an upset win by Vasiliy Lomachenko on Saturday night.
Lomachenko, in arguably the most important fight of his career, will face undefeated Devin Haney for the undisputed lightweight championship.
The event takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
For the first time as a pro, the 35-year-old Lomachenko is widely viewed as the underdog.
Haney, 24-years-old, has been tabbed by many as a rising pound-for-pound force in the sport.
By far, Lomachenko has the edge in experience as a former three division world champion and a two-time Olympic gold medal winner.
Bradley, who is no stranger to being an underdog in a big fight, gave his take on what Lomachenko could do to upset the odds.
“His game is formed around midrange to inside, whereas the champion is proficient from outside to midrange,” Bradley explained to ESPN.
“Footwork is the most essential skill in boxing. It’s not timing, punching power, etc. — footwork allows a boxer to move around the ring effectively, avoid punches and set up offensive attacks. Try standing in one spot in the ring without moving and see how far you get in a battle. Good footwork enables fighters to maintain their balance and control their movements, which is vital to being able to deliver accurate and powerful punches while also evading an opponent’s attacks quickly.
“Lomachenko’s footwork and Haney’s defensive inconsistency when facing a southpaw can heighten Lomachenko’s chances. Lomachenko’s counters and 2-1 combination – straight left, swivel jab – should work against Haney’s default Philly shell and take advantage of Haney’s openings created by his long frame and torso. There should be a lot of surface area on the body of the young champion for Lomachenko to land his offense.
Bradley admits that a year ago he would have backed Lomachenko to come out victorious.
Over the last twelve months, Haney has put forth the more impressive performances.
“A year ago, I would have picked Lomachenko to win this fight after seeing him against Masayoshi Nakatani and watching Haney against Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz. But time waits on no one, and that biological clock of greatness could have already passed by Lomachenko. Haney has improved and shown tremendous confidence and skill in fights of this magnitude. I’m not entirely counting Lomachenko out, as great fighters always seem to have one reserve outstanding performance left in them, but I am still riding with the younger Haney — 7 rounds to 5 for a decision win,” Bradley said.