The opening bout on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing” this Saturday, November 24 between Morodjon Akhmadaliev (4-0, 3 KOs) and Isaac Zarate (16-3-3, 2 KOs) pits a young rising star against a determined opponent, both with plenty to prove. Below is the scouting report for this exciting match-up.
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Category
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Murodjon Akhmadaliev
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Isaac “Dinamita” Zarate
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Age
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24
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27
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Record
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4-0-0 (3 KOs)
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16-3-3 (2 KOs)
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Strength
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Akhmadalieiv is a busy fighter in the ring. He has a high punch output and is always looking to finish. He is light on his feet and consistently keeps it moving during his fights, making it difficult for his opponents to get going offensively.
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Zarate has a stiff jab that he uses extremely well in setting up his shots. He has legitimate defense and is a solid counter-puncher. He has been in the ring with high-quality contenders throughout his career.
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Weakness
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“MJ” lacks the experience at this level when compared to his opponent.
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“Dinamita” comes into this fight lacking the punching power his opponent possesses.
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Experience
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Akhmadaliev lacks experience at the professional level. This will be his toughest test to date.
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He has much more experience at this level than his opponent. He is also a very active fighter. This will be his fourth bout of 2018.
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Power
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The 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist is a great body puncher. He attacks from all angles, and has a vicious left hook.
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Zarate is not known for being a knockout artist, or having much power. However, he is a technician in the ring, and makes his opponents work rigorously from start to finish.
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Speed
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Akhmadaliev has quick hands and even quicker feet, he is always on the move and keeps a rapid pace throughout the fight
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He is very fast defensively, moves his head well and does a superb job of keeping out of harm’s way.
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Endurance
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His endurance is still in question. The furthest he has gone in previous bouts is six rounds. This will be a giant step up for the young prospect.
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Zarate will have the advantage. Seven of his last eight bouts have gone the distance.
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Accuracy
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Akhmadaliev is a very accurate body puncher and has a pinpoint accurate jab.
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Similar to his opponent, Zarate is an accurate body puncher and picks his shots wisely.
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Defense
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Akhmadaliev is stronger on offense than he is on defense. He likes to drop his guard at timea in hopes of diverting his opponent’s attention. This tactic could backfire if he attempts it against his seasoned opponent.
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Zarate has effective defense that has gotten him to this point in his career. He moves his head and slips punches well. He also has sharp body movement and a pinpoint accurate jab that has posed problems for his previous opponents
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Chin
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Akhmadaliev’s chin is still a question. If he decides to stand in front of Zarate, there is a good chance it will be tested
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Zarate has a sturdy chin. He has never been stopped in his professional career.
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Style
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Akhmadaliev is a highly regarded prospect who has an exciting style. He comes forward with fast combinations and delivers a high punch output each and every fight.
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Zarate is a technician in the ring and a solid defensive fighter. He doesn’t carry big pop in either hand, but he does let his hands go and keep a consistent and entertaining pace throughout the fight.
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Intangibles
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Akhmadaliev has opted to take a challenging road to start his young career. With a professional record of just 4-0, he will take another huge step-up in competition when he takes on Zarate. This is his second consecutive bout scheduled for 10 rounds. He made a statement in his recent bout when he scored a first round knockout over Ramon Contreras.
His opponent this time around is a tremendous defensive fighter, and has yet to be stopped. A win this Saturday would be game-changing for his career, and would undoubtedly put the entire super bantamweight division on high Akhmadaliev alert.
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Zarate has been taking on tough opposition throughout his entire career. He will fight anyone and everyone and has proved it throughout the years. He is coming fresh off a win two months ago over formerly ranked and always tough Horacio Garcia. Rather than take some time off and embrace other potential opportunities, Zarate will instead jump right back in the ring and put a stamp on what has been a successful year for him so far.
A win over the highly regarded prospect will cap off an outstanding year for the veteran, and will leave Zarate in a strong position to make the case for a shot at a title.
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Crowd Support
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Akhmadaliev has an exciting style that will inevitably earn him some fans by the time the fight is over.
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Zarate has never competed in New Jersey, but if he can find a way to put an end to the hype behind his opponent, then he will be on the radar of fight fans for sure.
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The Match-Up
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Main Events matchmaker Jolene Mizzone says, “I like this match-up. You have a guy in Akmadaliev who is only 4-0, and not wasting any time in challenging himself against a tough opponent in Zarate.
“Zarate has been on the short end of the stick in many fights. Out of his three losses, only one was a unanimous decision. All the others were split decisions. Zarate is going into another tough fight with Akmadaliev, so kudos to him. Akmadaliev is taking his toughest fight to date in only his fifth fight.
“This says so much about him. These are the kind of guys I love as a matchmaker and as a fan!” said Mizzone.
