DAZN Boxing Preview – Derek Chisora vs. Kubrat Pulev

Derek Chisora will take on Kubrat Pulev in a rematch of veteran boxers this Saturday. These two fighters first battled back in 2016 for the EBU heavyweight belt. Pulev left that original matchup with both a win and championship status.

This time around, there is no title on the line. Only pride. Pulev will hope to land a second victory over the 38-year-old Brit, but Chisora will hope to appease the hometown crowd with the rematch taking place in London.

Pulev enters the fight with an impressive 29-2 professional record. The former European heavyweight champ has knocked 14 of his 31 opponents out, though his last outing with Chisora went the distance. Pulev won his last fight over Jerry Forrest in May, taking the bout by unanimous decision. Prior, he was knocked out in a matchup against Anthony Joshua which saw him lose his WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles.

The Bulgarian will hope to see a different result when facing Chisora, who’s now 32-13 over his professional career. Chisora enters the matchup on a current three-fight losing streak, having lost by decision in consecutive heavyweight title bouts to Oleksander Usyk and Joseph Parker. Since his last bout with Pulev, Chisora is just 7-6 though the veteran can still pack a punch. He’s won via knockout in six of his last seven victories, boasting 23 KOs in his 44 career fights.

Can the heavy-handed puncher land another knockout blow to get revenge on the 41-year-old Pulev, or will the Bulgarian beast leave with a second straight victory?

BetMaker previews the upcoming matchup and gives a prediction on the outcome.

DAZN Boxing Preview

Derek Chisora vs. Kubrat Pulev
Date and Time: Saturday, July 9, 2022, at 2:00 PM EST
Location: O2 Arena, London, England, UK
Odds: Derek Chisora (+190) vs. Kubrat Pulev (-265)
TV Coverage: DAZN

Betting Preview

Pulev enters as the betting favorite, holding -190 odds at SugarHouse Sportsbook. He’s seen much more success of late than his opponent, and owns that split decision win over Chisora in 2016. Since that last matchup, Pulev has posted a 6-1 record including a knockout. He held heavyweight champion status up until December of 2020, and finds himself on a one-fight win streak.

Chisora, the underdog, enters with +265 odds. He’s lost his last three bouts but has the luxury of fighting in front of his hometown fans. In fact, he’s won five of his last six matchups in the O2 Arena. Still, despite being three years younger, the Brit has significantly more miles under his belt. He’s fought in 44 fights compared to Pulev’s 31, and could be winding down to the end of his career, especially with a loss.

As far as length of fight goes, the choices are split. There is a slight odds advantage to the fight going the distance, coming in at -162. Odds that the bout ends before the final bell come in at +120.

That’s due to the projected methods of victory. Chisora has won the majority of his fights by way of the knockout. His odds of landing a KO sit at +450 while his odds of going the distance come in at +550. For Pulev, though, he’s more likely to go the length of the fight. His odds of a knockout win sit at +220 while his winning by decision come in at +120.

It looks like the later this fight goes, the more advantageous it is for Pulev.

Betting trends:

• Chisora has lost his last 3 fights, all by decision
• Pulev is 6-1 in his last 7 fights, with 1 KO
• Chisora is 5-1 in O2 Arena
• Pulev is 0-1 all-time in London
• Chisora has landed KOs in 6 of his last 7 wins

Prediction

This one will come down to two different strategies. Pulev is looking to outpunch Chisora with hopes of landing a decision win once the final bell sounds. Chisora, however, is hoping to strike a heavy blow to land a knockout victory.

Chisora has struggled in his most recent big fights, but we’re going out on a limb and taking the heavy hitter to win in London. He’ll have the crowd behind him in a place that Pulev has never won. Chisora is fighting for his career, and we’ll take him to get revenge for his 2016 defeat.

A knockout win will provide a nice payout. We’ll take our chances.

The Pick: Derek Chisora via KO (+450)