Mahammadrasul Majidov, the only three-time amateur world champion in Azerbaijan’s boxing history, considers 38-year-old Oleksandr Usyk the favorite in his upcoming fight against 27-year-old Briton Daniel Dubois. The bout will take place in London on the night of July 19 to 20.
The renowned Azerbaijani boxer shared his thoughts with Idman.biz.
Majidov noted that although Usyk is 11 years older than his opponent, experience plays a decisive role in such fights, making him the favorite: "My prediction: Usyk has a 70 percent chance of winning, while Dubois has a 30 percent chance."
He also explained how the British boxer could defeat his more decorated rival: "If Dubois can overcome his stamina issues, he'll have a chance. Besides that, he must fight. He can’t just box, he needs to fight to win. Because in terms of boxing, no one today can match Usyk’s technical skill, he has fast footwork and high-level technique. Dubois needs to pressure him, move forward, push, and sometimes even break the rules. If he uses that tactic, he’ll have a chance."
The three-time world champion added that despite his age, Usyk is capable of maintaining a high level of performance over 12 rounds.
Majidov faced Oleksandr Usyk back in March 2013 as part of the World Series of Boxing, where the Ukrainian fighter emerged victorious: "At that time, I didn’t have the strength to pressure him throughout the whole fight. Honestly, I shouldn't have entered the ring for that bout, but I was asked to. After a two-month break, I only trained for 10 days before the fight. I simply didn’t have the strength."
Teymur Tushiyev
Idman.biz
