Sergey Kovalev vs. Nadjib Mohammedi: Full preview, prediction and scouting report for light heavyweight title showdown

Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

As Sergey Kovalev prepares to defend his WBA, WBO and IBF titles Saturday night against Nadjib Mohammed, they two fighters are entering the contest on very different levels.

Kovalev is eager to defend his titles once again and move toward more lucrative bouts, with the likes of Andre Ward, Gennady Golovkin. A rumored rematch with Jean Pascal, who fights on the undercard in tonight’s HBO televised event, is most likely next for Kovalev (h/t The Sweet Science).

The “Krusher” is excited about defending his titles for the first time and is looking forward to a lucrative career.

“Thank you to WBO,” Kovalev said. “This was my first belt and mean a lot to me… I want to show this Saturday who I am. I would like to still be champion as long time as possible. I did not get all my goals in my career yet.”

KovalevĀ (27-0-1, 24 KOs) is not looking past Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs), and knows that if he doesn’t dispose of him Saturday night, then any future plans will be dashed.

“My amateur career I didn’t give me a lot of opportunities. I was hurt in amateur career and I had to try not to closed doors. Some of my dreams in the boxing and my goals not finished. For my dreams, my goals this Saturday is the next step in my career.”

Mohammedi is a big underdog in the bout and is a mystery to most fans and even the media that cover the sport. He is not letting that get in the way of his performance against Kovalev.

“For me it’s OK, it’s good for me,” Mohammedi said of being the underdog. “I don’t have a belt to lose. This guy (Kovalev) has three belts. For him he has a lot of pressure.

“Me, I don’t have pressure. For me, I just go for the fight, and I relax.”

If that is indeed how Mohammedi approaches this bout, it will increase his chances of pulling of what most consider a monumental upset.

Kovalev represents a big step up in competition for Mohammedi, as the combined record for his last five opponents is 64-27-1, with names no casual fan would recognize.

Although he hasn’t lost a bout in almost four years, but two of his three losses came via TKO, so it will be interesting to see how he handles a big shot form Kovalev when that time inevitably comes.

Prediction:

Kovalev will come out with a fury and with Mohammedi facing no one near the “Krusher’s” level, it is likely the bout doesn’t last more than half the scheduled 12 rounds.

Breaking Mohammedi down early, Kovalev should win the fight fairly easily.

Kovalev via Round 5 TKO.

Below is a scouting report provided by Main Events

Category

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev

Nadjib “The IronDjib” Mohammedi

Age

32

30

Record

27-0-1 (24 KOs)

37-3-0 (23 KOs)

Strength

Kovalev has knockout power in both hands; he has the ability to end a fight with any punch he throws. He also showed the world that he has a good chin after taking some big shots in his successful title defense against Jean Pascal in March.

Nadjib is an aggressive fighter with good hand speed and great endurance; he is always in tremendous shape and treats every fight like there is a title on the line.

He throws punches from all angles and can pose a threat to any top light heavyweight contender.

Weakness

Sergey has been knocked down before but not hurt, he tends to leave openings in his guard which could pose a problem in this bout as Nadjib has finished his last 11 of 13 opponents.

Mohammedi has a tendency to get sloppy at times, in previous fights he had a tendency to throw wide looping punches that could potentially get him into big trouble considering the power that Kovalev brings to the table.

Experience

Kovalev has fewer pro fights than Nadjib, but the past two years he’s faced and defeated three former titleholders in Bernard Hopkins, Jean Pascal and Nathan Cleverly.

Nadjib has more pro fights under his belt than Kovalev. He has fought for world titles before.

Power

Kovalev will have the clear advantage here as he is best known for his vicious knockout power in either hand. He throws nasty body shots.

Nadjib does not pack one-punch power in either hand. He is known more for the volume of punches he throws.

Speed

Kovalev has average speed that picks up once he sees he has his opponent on the ropes and he goes for the finish.

Mohammedi has quick hands and quick feet as well. He is a small light heavyweight; he moves around the ring well and is very agile.

Endurance

Sergey has shown the ability to maintain a steady pace that allows him to conserve energy while still looking sharp in the later rounds. However, he has only fought 12 rounds once in his career when he defeated the former titleholder Bernard Hopkins.

Mohammedi may have a slight edge here, as he has been 12 rounds on three separate occasions, and 10 rounds three times as well.

Accuracy

Kovalev shows great accuracy with his one-punch knockouts; he also throws very accurate and powerful shots to the body that have ended fights in the past.

Nadjib’s accuracy is evident when his opponents stand and trade shots with him; he has an accurate jab plus an overhand right that tends to follow.

Defense

Sergey’s best defense may just be his offense. His power has become a complete game-changer in the past, forcing opponents to rethink their game plan.

Mohammedi is light on his feet and moves around the ring well, making it difficult for anyone to hit him. However, he enjoys standing and trading with his opponents which could ultimately get him into trouble against The Krusher.

Chin

In his last fight Kovalev showed that his chin is more than durable, he took some big shots against a heavy hitter in Jean Pascal and managed to stay on his feet and earn the stoppage win.

Nadjib’s chin may be in question here; he has been stopped twice in his career and has never been in the ring with a puncher as devastating as Kovalev.

Style

Sergey is an offensive-minded fighter who likes to walk his opponents down then go for the finish.

Mohammedi is a boxer who shows signs of being a volume puncher while utilizing great counter-punching.

Crowd Support

Sergey’s popularity has greatly increased since major wins over Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal. He is now competing in the fight capital of the world, so Kovalev will likely have majority of the crowd support here.

Nadjib may be at a disadvantage here as he is not well known just yet. However, Nadjib is a gamer and treats every fight like it’s a title fight, which is a mentality and style that may win him some crowd support throughout this fight.

Intangibles

Kovalev’s previous two bouts were by far the toughest of his career. He defeated Bernard Hopkins in November of 2014, and just four months later he earned a stoppage win over former world champion Jean Pascal. Now, rather than take some extra time to recover and enjoy these wins, he returns to the ring after another quick four-month turnaround and takes on Mohammedi, who has not lost a fight in almost five years.

Nadjib has waited patiently for over a year to capitalize on his number one contender position. After earning his position in June of 2014, Nadjib decided to stay active and risk his number one ranking. He competed on Kovalev’s two previous undercards against durable opponents, against both of which he scored stoppage wins. Those risks have paid off and Nadjib will finally get his shot against the world’s best light heavyweight.