Mirco Cuello vs Christian Olivo Predictions: Featherweight eliminator to face Nick Ball

Youth Olympic bronze medallist Mirco Cuello looks to continue his unbeaten pro journey against Christian ‘Kiki’ Olivo this Saturday, February 1. The bout will emanate from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Amazon Prime PPV will screen the fight live as part of the David Benavidez vs David Morrell card.

Here are my Cuello vs Olivo predictions ahead of this featherweight fight.

Mirco Cuello vs Christian Olivo Odds

Olivo is your 4/1 underdog here while Cuello opens at 1/6. If you fancy a draw, the stalemate is marketed at 16/1.

Fight Preview

Argentina’s Cuello is making waves and finds himself well-ranked with a number of sanctioning bodies. The 24-year-old is ranked third by the WBA, 15th by the IBF and seventh by The Ring. Perhaps proving the politics at play when it comes to the ranking organisations, Cuello is not ranked by the WBC despite beating their fifth-ranked contender Sulaiman Segawa in his last fight.

That win was a big one for Cuello. A points win over eight rounds against a tough opponent who has tested some top names was a vital step in his young career. Olivo is another, with the Mexican heading into this one ranked fifth by the WBA.

The WBA title seems to be the target given this piece of matchmaking. This fight is designated as an eliminator for the WBA featherweight belt that currently sits around the waist of Liverpool firecracker Nick Ball. That would be a tricky assignment for Cuello, but featherweight is a competitive place right now. If the southpaw wants a title shot, he’s going to have to take a hard fight.

But Olivo poses his own problems, even if they aren’t as robust as the ones Ball would bring. Having done most of his fighting in his native Mexico, Olivo lost in his one US-based fight. That came against undefeated contender Luis Nunez. Now Olivo goes in with another unbeaten prospect on a similar career trajectory.

The risk here for Olivo is that a defeat could firmly place him in gatekeeper territory. While he has been successful as a fringe contender so far, two losses against fighters on the rise will pigeonhole him. 

Suddenly, Olivo will become someone promoters look at to get their man a win. In boxing, the line between the feted and the exploited is often wafer-thin. Losses or not fatal to career ambitions necessarily, but the wrong sort of losses can have a cumulative effect. Lose to prospects enough times and you become the guy matchmakers call to lose to their prospects.

Cuello does look well-placed to take home the victory too. The Segawa win hinted that he is already moving on from facing the gatekeepers of world level. Olivo is better than that and should provide a sterner test. It is the right fight at the right time for the Argentine.

With the carrot of a world title shot on the line, both men will be looking to seize this opportunity. On a big pay-per-view card there is also the additional carrot of increased notoriety from a good performance. This featherweight eliminator could be the sleeper hit of the show. 

Mirco Cuello vs Christian Olivo Full Card

David Benavidez vs. David Morrell

Brandon Figueroa vs. Stephen Fulton

Isaac Cruz vs. Angel Fierro

Jesus Ramos vs. Jeison Rosario

Mirco Cuello vs. Christian Olivo

Mirco Cuello vs Christian Olivo Predictions

Olivo is a good opponent and he will come into this with ambition I feel. It’s a crucial fight for the Mexican and I expect him to perform.

However, I believe Cuello knows too much for him. The Argentine has rarely looked troubled as a professional and I expect that relative comfort to continue. I’m picking the 24-year-old to take this one on points at 4/5.

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