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🧨 Featherweight Fireworks
The Fight Team
June 23, 2023
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Fight With Teddy Atlas Newsletter, your one stop shop for all things combat sports related, brought to you by Teddy and The Fight team.
Every Friday We Bring You:
A combat sports news digest with all the headlines you need to know from Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.
Highlights from the podcast and across the fight world.
Fight times and information you need to know ahead of time.
How to’s and tips for Boxing from Teddy himself.
Fight News From Around The 🌍
A Monster Calls
Super middleweights Edgar Berlanga and Jason Quigley will clash on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City at MSG.
Matchroom Boxing and Berlanga will be looking to kick off their relationship off by matching him strategically, after his “Monster” tag has lost some of its punch following 4 consecutive decision wins.
This was a fighter that went on a 16 fight 1st round KO win streak, understandably creating a lot of expectations in the process. If Matchroom can tap in to even 50% of the Berlanga of old, then they’ll be onto something.
The quality of the opposition has to improve at some point though, and that’s perhaps where the problems began for the Brooklyn native.
Quigley is a tidy boxer with good footwork and movement, but his chin isn’t the best. He was dominated by Tureano Johnson and knocked out quickly by Demetrius Andrade, who is not known for his knockout power.
In other words, he has all the credentials to provide exactly what is needed making Berlanga look the part and kick-start his relationship with his new promoter with a big KO.
However, that was also the thinking behind matching him with former Billy Joe Saunders victim Marcelo Coceres, as well as former David Benavidez opponent Roamer Angulo, both of whom took Berlanga the distance (with Coceres even dropping him).
If he’s going to push on and fulfil the image of himself as a real destroyer at 168 lbs, he’s going to have to dispatch of opponents like Quigley.
The promotional platform may have changed, but the aim is the same. Recapture that old form that saw him capture the fascination of the boxing world.
Whether he’ll be able to do it or not remains to be seen.
What to look for in the fight:
Early doors. Quigley is a notoriously slow starter, which Berlanga (if he watched his fight against Demetrius Andrade) will be keen to exploit. Look for him to not be as cautious with Quigley early as he has been in the past.
Timing. Berlanga isn’t the tidiest defensively when he looks to throw combinations. He’s been caught numerous times in between punches and if Quigley can capitalise, it might be the difference between this fight ending early or going the distance.
Unofficial #1 Contender Fight
Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria will face off on Saturday in a high stakes featherweight main event at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, with the former looking to re-insert himself back into the title conversation whilst the latter wants to strengthen his already solid case for a shot at the champ.
Emmett’s hard earned interim title shot, which was off the back of a win streak that stretched back almost 5 years, definitely didn’t go as planned, as he was outclassed and eventually submitted by Yair Rodriguez.
The hard hitting American had no answers for the speed and mobility of El Pantera Roja, and a similar performance against Topuria will likely lead to another early night for him.
Topuria hasn’t lost a fight yet in his professional MMA career and has the confidence to show for it. He successfully battled back from adversity (at lightweight no less) against Jai Herbet to score a fantastic KO, and he’s since gone on bank another impressive win against the then undefeated Bryce Mitchell.
His skillset and character gives him all the makings of a future champion and he’ll need those skills and more if he is to maintain his usual fast and aggressive pace against the still dangerous Emmett.
Look for him to pick his shots against the more flat footed Emmett, who will rely more on his experience with pace during 5 rounders as well as his offensive wrestling.
Since their Jacksonville bout is a five-rounder (a first for Topuria), there’s no question that both men are going to go through fire, and whoever will best be able to withstand the difficult moments and come back will be crucial in determining a winner.
Fight ⏰ for this weekend
Boxing: Berlanga vs Quigley (Saturday 24th/Sunday 25th)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 8pm Eastern/ 5pm Pacific | Main Event: 10pm Eastern/ 7pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 1am | Main Event: 3am
🇦🇺 Full Card: 10am Eastern/ 8am Western | Main event: 12pm Eastern/ 10am Western
Boxing: Adames vs Williams (Saturday 24th/Sunday 25th)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 10pm Eastern/ 7pm Pacific | Main Event: 11pm Eastern/ 8pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 3am | Main Event: 4am
🇦🇺 Full Card: 2pm Eastern/ 12pm Western | Main event: 3pm Eastern/ 1pm Western
MMA: Emmett vs Topuria (Saturday 24th/Sunday 25th)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 3pm Eastern/ 12pm Pacific | Main Event: 5pm Eastern/ 2pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 8pm | Main Event: 10pm
🇦🇺 Full Card: 12pm Eastern/ 10am Western | Main event: 2pm Eastern/ 12pm Western