Villa vs Segawa Predictions: Ruben rolls on in Vegas

Ruben Villa squares off with Sulaiman Segawa this Saturday, July 13 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. This featherweight bout takes place on the undercard of Janibek Alimkhanuly’s IBF and WBO middleweight title defence against Andrei Mikhailovich. Sky Sports Action will broadcast the card live.

Here are my Villa vs Segawa predictions ahead of this feisty featherweight fight.

Villa is looking to secure a second shot at a world championship, having fallen short a few years ago. Emmanuel Navarrete had too much for him in a WBO title scrap back in October 2020. 

Villa was just 24 at the time and came into the behind-closed-doors fight with an 18-0 record. ‘RV4’ never quite recovered from the knockdown he suffered in the opening round, going down once more and losing widely on the cards. 

A punishing loss like that during the first flushes of a boxing youth can derail a fighter’s ambitions. Many prospects have transitioned into gatekeepers overnight as a result of a formative loss. But Villa has come out swinging.

The 27-year-old has won four on the bounce since the Navarrete defeat. The opposition was admittedly not particularly fearsome, though ending the career of gritty Mexican campaigner Horacio García was no mean feat.  

Villa’s exertions have netted him a WBC silver featherweight title and a number-one contender slot with the organisation. The Californian is also ranked fifth with the WBO and eighth by the IBF. Another crack at world honours feels like a shoo-in, but not before Villa does his job against Segawa. 

The Ugandan was set to go to the 2016 Olympics with his country’s team, but sensationally defected during the Eindhoven Cup tournament in the Netherlands. Segawa left his homeland behind and eventually arrived in the US to pursue a professional career.

The reality has not quite lived up to the story. ‘The Ruler’ has amassed a 16-4-1 record and his reputation is that of a stepping stone rather than as a contender. Jamaine Ortiz and Abraham Nova both knocked him off on their way to world title shots. Segawa is gifted enough to give rising stars a good night’s work but not at the level required to beat them.

Which makes the 33-year-old perfect fodder for this fight with Villa. ‘RV4’ isn’t looking for a man to derail his ambitions. What he wants is rounds and confidence ahead of a world title shot that feels almost imminent. That might sound dismissive, but everything we know about Villa and Segawa supports this theory.

Villa vs Segawa Fight Odds

Villa is 1/20 to maintain his hot streak here, with a theoretical 95.2% chance of victory. Segawa is 8/1 to pull off the surprise while a draw is 20/1. 

Villa vs Segawa Full Card

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Andrei Mikhailovich; For Alimkhanuly’s IBF and WBO middleweight titles 

Raymond Muratalla vs. Tevin Farmer; Lightweight 

Ruben Villa vs. Sulaiman Segawa; Featherweight 

Jonthan Lopez vs. Leonardo Padilla; Super featherweight 

Charlie Sheehy vs. Ricardo Quiroz; Super lightweight 

Javier Zamarron vs. Michael Bracamontes; Featherweight 

Art Barrera Jr. vs. Javier Mayoral; Welterweight 

Israel Mercado vs. Dondrell Haynes; Super lightweight 

Albert Gonzalez vs. Conrado S. Martinez; Super featherweight

Villa vs Segawa Predictions

I think this fight is well-set for Villa to prevail. But he is no knockout artist, having halted just seven of his 22 victims. Segawa is made of strong stuff, with only the world-ranked Jamaine Ortiz having stopped him.

I think backing Villa for the decision win at odds of 4/11 makes sense here. I think he can take a wide points nod but without really looking like getting Segawa out early. While I don’t think ‘RV4’ will go safety-first in his approach, I do feel he will be aware that the win is all that matters here. Ultimately, as long as Segawa is defeated, that world title shot will land in Villa’s lap.

You can find all our latest boxing betting tips and analysis at our Betfred Insights Boxing page and our latest boxing odds here.