Lopez vs Leo Predictions: The fight game’s finest featherweight

Gabriela Fundora defends her IBF flyweight title against Daniela Asenjo this Saturday, August 10. The world championship fight takes place at The Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The bout will serve as part of the undercard for Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs Serhii Bohachuk. DAZN will screen the card live.

Here are my Fundora vs Asenjo predictions ahead of this title encounter.

Lopez is never the first name out of the mouth of most fight fans, but he has quietly built a superb resume. ‘El Venado’ is 30-2, with his last defeat coming in 2019. Since that loss to former world title challenger Ruben Villa, Lopez has won 13 consecutive fights.

British fans will know Lopez well, having beaten Leeds hero Josh Warrington by majority decision to capture his IBF belt. A fifth-round TKO of Michael Conlan showed that the Warrington win was no underdog fluke.

A unanimous decision over Joet Gonzalez and an eighth-round stoppage of Reiya Abe have built upon Lopez’s fine CV. The 30-year-old has won and defended his world title impressively, racking up high-level wins and taking out big names along the way.

Former WBO super bantamweight champion Anegelo Leo is another excellent challenger for the title. Never let it be said that Lopez is taking the path of least resistance. 

Leo is 24-1, with his only loss coming at the talented fists of Stephen Fulton. Leo is unbeaten since that 2021 points defeat, making the featherweight division his home and earning this championship chance.

Leo is a boxer-puncher who throws punishing shots from behind a high guard. He offers little in the way of defensive evasion, instead trying to absorb punches on his gloves and work his way inside. Once there, the New Mexico native throws body shots before switching to the head. Offensively, his output is busy and his shots are stiff. Defensively, there is something to be desired in his one-note system.

Lopez is a scary proposition. While he doesn’t blind opponents with science or crush them with wrecking ball punches, he is just intangibly tough. The champion’s raids are well-timed and hurtful. Lopez stays on the outside before launching into your personal space with devastating effect. He relishes the rough stuff and cannot be fazed. Lopez is a fighter who finds every aspect of his trade entirely comfortable. 

Neither man will shy away from the exchanges here. Both are willing to take punches to give them. The only real difference in style is that Leo marches forward relentlessly while Lopez picks his spots to strike. It will be interesting to see if the former style brings out a necessary shift in the latter. If Lopez will be drawn out of his comfort zone of patience by Leo’s wilder work.

Lopez vs Leo Fight Odds

Despite stepping onto enemy turf, Lopez opens as a 2/9 favourite. Leo is 100/30 to score the upset win in his hometown. The draw is 16/1, though neither man has ever boxed to a stalemate as a professional.

Lopez vs Leo Full Card

Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Angelo Leo; For Lopez's IBF featherweight title 

Lindolfo Delgado vs. Bryan Flores; Super lightweight 

Arnold Khegai vs. Belmar Preciado; Featherweight 

Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Laszlo Toth; Light middleweight 

Matthew Griego vs. Gilberto Mendoza; Flyweight 

Alan Garcia vs. Maickol Lopez Villagrana; Lightweight 

Albert Gonzalez vs. Damian Alcala; Featherweight 

Steven Navarro vs. Israel Camacho; Super flyweight

Lopez vs Leo Prediction

I think Leo is too open and Lopez will exploit that. The challenger will give a fair bit back, of that there is no doubt. But I don’t think that will be enough against the sharp shots of the champion. Lopez’s forward bursts have a way of discombobulating his opposition.

I am picking Lopez on points here. I don’t think Leo goes early, but I think he will have been thoroughly manhandled by the end. My choice is 8/13 if you want to follow me into the battle.

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