Teddy Atlas is picking Sergiy Derevyanchenko to defeat unbeaten, highly hyped Christian Mbilli in their clash this Saturday night on ESPN at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.
Derevyanchenko’s Experience a Key Factor
Atlas feels that the 2008 Olympian Derevyanchenko (15-5, 10 KOs) has too much experience for the #1 WBC and #2 WBA-ranked Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs).
The 29-year-old Mbilli was born in Cameroon and moved to France in 2006. Like Edgar Berlanga, his promoters have matched him carefully without ever giving him a test until now.
When you see stuff like that, it’s a red flag that the fighter is flawed because promoters wouldn’t intentionally hold an Olympian back until he’s pushing 30 before stepping him up.
Mbilli getting hurt by fringe contender Rohan Murdock last January was a sign that he’s not the fighter that fans had thought he was, which explains why his promoters have kept him in the slow lane his entire career.
Derevyanchenko has already been in fights against these talented fighters to gain experience after competing in the Olympics for Ukraine:
– Gennadiy Golovkin
– Jermall Charlo
– Jaime Munguia
– Carlos Adames
Does Derevyanchenko Have Enough left?
“He’s had a lot of tough fights. I think he may have beaten GGG,” said Teddy Atlas on his YouTube channel, discussing Sergiy Derevyanchenko’s fight against Gennadiy Golovkin in October 2019. “I love GGG, but he might have beat him.”
Many fans felt that Derevyanchenko deserved the win against Golovkin because he was arguably dropped, but he could stay upright because the referee held him up as he fell. Derevyanchenko continued to pound GGG and school him for the remainder of the fight but wound up losing on the scorecards against the favored fighter.
“He’s 38-years-old, Derevyanchenko. Here’s what it comes down to. What does he have left?” said Atlas. “I don’t know. Is he shopworn a little bit? Probably. How much? Because if he’s not to a degree where it shows, he will test Mbilli like he was a few fights ago [against Rohan Murdock], but even greater because Derevyanchenko is a better fighter than the one who tested him.”
Derevyanchenko’s performance against Jaime Munguia last June showed he has a lot left in the tank. He fought well enough to deserve the victory.
The fight was decided when Derevyanchenko was dropped in the twelfth by a body shot from Mungunia, but he still fought well enough to deserve the win. The judges went with the younger fighter, Munguia, and it’s understandable why. He had a big-money clash against Canelo Alvarez at stake.
“He [Derevyanchenko] is better than that; he is more talented than that,” said Atlas. “Derevyanchenko isn’t a huge puncher, but he doesn’t stop punching. He’s a punching machine. Mbilli is a punching machine. That’s why I say you got to watch this.”
Derevyanchenko is a technical fighter with skills that virtually all super middleweights would die for, including Canelo. His nickname, ‘The Technician,’ is for a reason. He’s an incredible talent, and he’s not shown age like other fighters, which owes a lot to his technical ability.
Atlas’ Prediction: Derevyanchenko Wins
“It should be a barnburner. It’s coming from Quebec, Canada; it’s a home game for Mbilli. I’m going to take a shot that he’s not shot, Derevyanchenko. I’m going to take the shot that he’s not used up, that he’s got enough left to survive what Mbilli is going to throw at him, and he’s going to throw a lot at him,” said Atlas.
Mbilli will bum-rush Derevyanchenko and try to bang him out with nonstop punches like he’s done with all the lower-level fighters his management has matched him against during his pro career. He could pay the price if he fights like that against Derevyanchenko because he’ll counter him and work him over with hooks and body shots.
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