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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 🌍
Heavy Hitters Headlining
Heavyweights are meant to hit hard and entertain, and that's exactly what Efe Ajagba does. His 13 KO wins (some of them really devastating) speak for themselves.
He does leave a lot to be desired on the technical side, as displayed in his first, and so far only, career loss against fellow contender Frank Sanchez. His skills were shown to not be up to the pedigree that his status as an Olympian would suggest, and although he is still learning his craft, there are plenty of opening for his opponent Stephan Shaw to exploit on Saturday night.
30 year old Shaw is coming off a November unanimous decision against solid heavyweight test Rydell Booker, and is a solid heavyweight operator that has gone slightly under the radar, perhaps due to the lack of big names of his resume. But as seen a few months back with Jermaine Franklin's performance against Dillian Whyte, a lack of big names or profile is NOT an indicator of their quality as a fighter, and Shaw will be looking to seize this opportunity at the expense of Ajagba.
Both men will view this as a real crossroads fight, one that will propel the winner into a higher-profile bout, potentially with a top 10 heavyweight opponent.
What to look for in the fight:
Sitting target. Shaw prefers to plant his feet and let his flurries go, a habit that makes him easy to corner. Ajagba struggled with lateral movement in his lone loss, and against Shaw he should be able to get his timing on and release his powerful right hand.
Power. Ajagba is a heavy hitter, but we shouldn't look past Shaw's own power. Ajagba was dropped in his loss to Sanchez, and it'll be interesting to see how he reacts to potentially getting hurt once again.
Strickland Saves The Show
Controversial Middleweight fighter Sean Strickland will be competing in a short notice light heavyweight main event against rising Franco-Russian 185 lbs star Nassourdine Imavov. It comes less than a month since his razor close split decision loss to Jared Cannonier at the UFC Apex.
Strickland has often been accused of talking his way into fights, and there's an element of truth to that. However, it discredits how good of a fighter he actually is. There's an argument to be made that he actually beat Cannonier at the tail end of last year, and that would plant him firmly as a Top 5 contender. At the moment, he remains just outside, but his striking IQ and respectable defence make him a tough fight for the majority of the division.
Nassourdine Imavov has an 8-2 record after his first 10 fights on the international circuit and has proven himself to be a very well rounded mixed martial artist, having demonstrated good striking pressure, takedown defence and durability in his previous fights. He's also big for the division, standing close to the frame of current champ Alex Pereira, and he'll not doubt look to impose his frame on the smaller Strickland.
It's a tough test for Imavov as Strickland is without a doubt his toughest opponent yet. However, the fact he has had a full camp under his belt, as well as the overall quality of his game compared to the American, should see him pick up a win and get closer to the Top 5.
Fun fact: Strickland can become the 15th fighter in UFC history to earn victories in three weight classes.
What to look for in the fight:
Kicks. Strickland only began mixing up his kicks late into the Cannonier fight. Look for him to be more aggressive here and keep Imavov guessing, keeping him off balance for combinations and takedowns.
Moving up. The last time Strickland got a stoppage win was also the last time he fought close to the light-heavyweight limit. The extra weight could contribute to him carrying more power than at 185 lbs, which could lead to the fight being a lot closer on the feet.
Fight ⏰ for this weekend
Boxing: Ajagba vs Shaw (Saturday 14th/Sunday 15th)
🇺🇸 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
UFC: Strickland vs Imavov (Saturday 14th/Sunday 15th)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 7pm Eastern/ 4pm Pacific | Main Event: 9pm Eastern/ 6pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 12am | Main Event: 2am
🇦🇺 Full Card: 11am Eastern/ 9am Western | Main event: 1pm Eastern/ 11am Western