Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez
Editor note: This is a guest editorial by Thomas Matthews of Oddschecker.
Oddschecker are the leading odds comparison site, comparing markets across all major bookmakers to find the best odds.
Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez has the potential to rival the Joshua/Klitschko bout in April for fight of the year. The heavy hitters from Kazakhstan and Mexico respectively will go at it and most are tipping it to be a thrilling fight as opposed to the “spectacle” that was Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor last month.
But given the nature of this contest, the betting and subsequent interest in the fight has been alarmingly non-existent compared to last month’s. Oddschecker have seen an incredible disparity in the number of total bets placed, with 3,500 so far on Canelo vs. GGG compared with over 130,000 on the Mayweather McGregor show.
The round-by-round betting comparisons also give an indication of how punters are expecting the fight to go. A total of 54.3% of bets on Saturday’s fight have been on the match to be decided in round eight or further, compared with just 18.9% in Mayweather McGregor.
Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Monday, May 4th 2026: Deep 131 Impact: 25th Anniversary | |||
 [#2 SW] Sora Sugiyama | [#13 SW] Sukai China | ||
|
| |||
| Last Fight Date: 12/14/2025 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#6 SW] Haruo Ochi Last 5: - - W W W | Last Fight Date: 3/08/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [NR] Musashi Musashi Last 5: W W W W W | ||
| Friday, March 20th 2026: PFL Madrid: Van Steenis vs. Edwards 2 | |||
 [#8 MW] Costello Van Steenis (-132) |  [#12 MW] Fabian Edwards (+107) | ||
|
| |||
| Last Fight Date: 7/19/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#13 MW] Johnny Eblen Last 5: W L W W W | Last Fight Date: 8/21/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#27 MW] Dalton Rosta Last 5: W L W W W | ||
| Sunday, April 12th 2026: RIZIN LANDMARK 13 in FUKUOKA | |||
 [#25 W115] Natalia Kuziutina | [#7 W105] Ayaka Hamasaki | ||
|
| |||
| Last Fight Date: 8/16/2025 [Ural Fighting Championship] Last Opponent: [#77 W115] Rose Conceicao Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 11/23/2025 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#14 W105] Ye Ji Lee Last 5: W L W L W | ||
Featured Fighters
| [#242 LW] |  Rustambek Nurzhanov | [#840 LW] | Daniel Holt | |
| [#2 LW] |  Charles Oliveira | [#1 LW] |  Ilia Topuria | |
| [#18 FW] | Kyoma Akimoto | [#362 HW] |  Tony Lopez | |
| [#210 FW] |  Marwan Rahiki | [#1 MW] |  Khamzat Chimaev | |
| [#90 HW] |  Jovan Leka | [#32 LHW] |  Ion Cutelaba |
Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night: Rockhold/Branch (09-16-2017)
Middleweight (185)
[*] Luke Rockhold (15-3-0, -438) vs. [#8] David Branch (21-3-0, +334)
Luke Rockhold is the All-Time #3 ranked Middleweight and #50 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Luke Rockhold (2-1-0)
2016-06-04: L vs. [#1MW/#6DD/#7P4P] Michael Bisping (30-7-0) via in 3:36 of round 1
2015-12-12: W vs. [#5MW] Chris Weidman (14-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:12 of round 4
2015-04-18: W vs. [*] Lyoto Machida (22-7-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:31 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: David Branch (3-0-0)
2017-05-13: W vs. [#15MW] Krzysztof Jotko (19-2-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2016-12-31: W vs. [#73MW] Louis Taylor (14-4-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:00 of round 5
2016-10-07: W vs. [#55LHW] Vinny Magalhaes (14-9-0) via UD (50-44, 50-44, 50-44)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Luke Rockhold 469, David Branch 126
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
.
Welterweight (170)
[#22] Mike Perry (10-1-0, -174) vs. [#30] Thiago Alves (22-11-0, +144)
Thiago Alves is the All-Time #17 ranked Welterweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Mike Perry (2-1-0)
2017-04-22: W vs. [#32WW] Jake Ellenberger (31-13-0) via KO (Elbow) in 1:05 of round 2
2016-12-17: L vs. [#51WW] Alan Jouban (15-6-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
2016-10-08: W vs. [#68WW] Danny Roberts (14-2-0) via in 4:40 of round 3
Last 3 Fights: Thiago Alves (1-2-0)
2017-04-08: W vs. [*] Patrick Cote (23-11-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2016-11-12: L vs. [#23LW] Jim Miller (28-10-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
2015-05-30: L vs. [#14WW] Carlos Condit (30-10-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 2
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Mike Perry 147, Thiago Alves 161
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Middleweight (185)
[#28] Anthony Smith (27-12-0, -121) vs. [#46] Hector Lombard (34-7-1, -106)
Hector Lombard is the All-Time #30 ranked Middleweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Anthony Smith (2-1-0)
2017-04-15: W vs. [#49MW] Andrew Sanchez (8-3-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:52 of round 3
2016-12-03: W vs. [#302WW] Elvis Mutapcic (15-6-1) via in 3:27 of round 2
2016-07-08: L vs. [#32MW] Cezar Ferreira (11-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Hector Lombard (0-3-0)
2017-02-19: L vs. [#17MW] Johny Hendricks (18-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2016-06-04: L vs. [*] Dan Henderson (32-15-0) via in 1:27 of round 2
2016-03-19: L vs. [#13WW] Neil Magny (19-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:46 of round 3
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Anthony Smith 154, Hector Lombard 209
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Keep Reading
The Greatest Fights Of All Time
Whenever a big fight comes around, it gets people talking about which fights they think are the best of all time. It’s an age-old debate and mostly it is based on what bouts people have actually witnessed in their own lifetime but some go down in history for a number of reasons. Sometimes you hear fights being billed as the biggest and best of all time, before they actually take place, and that’s where we’re going to begin.
The highest grossing boxing fight of all time took place last month between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, with over $500 million generated in PPV sales alone. It was a contest which saw one of the greatest boxers of this generation take on a UFC star making his debut in the ring. It wasn’t a great fight as Mayweather just picked McGregor off to cruise to victory, but it was one thing though, extremely over hyped.
The best fights aren’t necessarily the top grossing bouts. One clash that every boxing fan will have heard of is the 1971 bout between two undefeated heavyweight champions, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. There was a huge amount of hype surrounding the fight but it definitely lived up to expectations with Frazier coming out on top in the 15 round match up after putting Ali on the canvas twice.
Source: The Fight City
Fight Matrix Program – UFC 215: Nunes/Shevchenko (09-09-2017)
Women Bantamweight Championship (135)
[#1/#1DD/#2P4P] Amanda Nunes (14-4-0, -105) vs. [#2/#4DD/#6P4P] Valentina Shevchenko (14-2-0, -120)
Amanda Nunes is the All-Time #10 ranked Women’s fighter.
Valentina Shevchenko is the All-Time #32 ranked Women’s fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Amanda Nunes (3-0-0)
2016-12-30: W vs. [#6BW] Ronda Rousey (12-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:48 of round 1
2016-07-09: W vs. [*] Miesha Tate (18-7-0) via in 3:16 of round 1
2016-03-05: W vs. [#2BW/#4DD/#6P4P] Valentina Shevchenko (14-2-0) via UD (29-27, 29-28, 29-27)
Last 3 Fights: Valentina Shevchenko (2-1-0)
2017-01-28: W vs. [#7BW] Julianna Pena (8-3-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:29 of round 2
2016-07-23: W vs. [#4BW] Holly Holm (11-3-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
2016-03-05: L vs. [#1BW/#1DD/#2P4P] Amanda Nunes (14-4-0) via UD (29-27, 29-28, 29-27)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Amanda Nunes 253, Valentina Shevchenko 224
Previous Match-up Record: Amanda Nunes leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Welterweight (170)
[#6] Rafael dos Anjos (26-9-0, -198) vs. [#9] Neil Magny (19-5-0, +163)
Rafael dos Anjos is the All-Time #31 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Rafael dos Anjos (1-2-0)
2017-06-17: W vs. [#30WW] Tarec Saffiedine (16-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2016-11-05: L vs. [#3LW] Tony Ferguson (22-3-0) via UD (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
2016-07-07: L vs. [#2LW/#10DD] Eddie Alvarez (28-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:49 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Neil Magny (2-1-0)
2016-12-30: W vs. [#17MW] Johny Hendricks (18-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2016-08-20: L vs. [#16WW] Lorenz Larkin (18-6-0) via in 4:08 of round 1
2016-03-19: W vs. [#46MW] Hector Lombard (34-7-1) via TKO (Punches) in 0:46 of round 3
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Rafael dos Anjos 84, Neil Magny 253
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Light Heavyweight (205)
[#19] Ilir Latifi (12-5-0, -131) vs. [#26] Tyson Pedro (6-0-0, +106)
Last 3 Fights: Ilir Latifi (2-1-0)
2016-09-03: L vs. [#3LHW] Ryan Bader (23-5-0) via KO (Knee) in 2:06 of round 2
2016-03-05: W vs. [#32LHW] Gian Villante (15-9-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2016-01-17: W vs. [#80LHW] Sean OConnell (17-9-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:30 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Tyson Pedro (3-0-0)
2017-03-04: W vs. [#70LHW] Paul Craig (9-2-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 4:10 of round 1
2016-11-26: W vs. [#50LHW] Khalil Rountree (6-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:07 of round 1
2016-10-15: W vs. [#351LHW] Steven Warby (8-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:05 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ilir Latifi 371, Tyson Pedro 189
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Keep Reading
UFC 215 Main Card Preview & Predictions
On September 9th in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, Rogers Place Arena will be absent of the Edmonton Oilers, but is going to be teeming with crazed fight fans. The UFC 215 card is stacked with veteran talent and no doubt, the arena should be packed!
Though the matchups throughout are going to be highly competitive, we are here to focus on the top three main card bouts: Magny-Dos Anjos, Nunes-Shevchenko, and Johnson-Borg.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Ray Borg
It’s Mighty Mouse vs. The Tazmexican Devil! These two fighters match up quite well physically against each-other. You have a slightly more powerful Borg facing off with a slightly faster and savvier Johnson. Separated by just an inch in height, Johnson holds a clear, three-inch reach advantage but Borg evens it up with two inches in leg reach advantage.
Borg is more well-rounded than Mighty Mouse’s recent opponents but this fight is history in the making for Demetrius Johnson. With one more consecutive title defense, Johnson will break Anderson Silva’s record of 11 straight and go down in the books as one of the greatest champions of all time.
The Tazmexican will put up a great couple of rounds, but Johnson’s unorthodox style and savvy creativity will eventually take over. Oddsmakers agree with me, as they have laid Demetrious Johnson as a (-900) favorite at most offshore shops –Bovada is a great place to start if you are looking to pace action on the fight. If you disagree with my assessment and think that Borg has a legitimate shot here, you can find him at a profitable (+550) which is a little better than 5 to 1 odds!
UFC 215 Prediction: Demetrious Johnson Wins in the 3rd Round (+625)
Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night 115: Struve/Volkov (09-02-2017)
Heavyweight (265)
[#11] Alexander Volkov (28-6-0, -129) vs. [#12] Stefan Struve (28-8-0, +104)
Last 3 Fights: Alexander Volkov (3-0-0)
2017-04-15: W vs. [#18HW+] Roy Nelson (22-14-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2016-11-19: W vs. [#31HW+] Timothy Johnson (11-4-0) via SD (29-28, 29-28, 27-30)
2016-06-16: W vs. [#80LHW] Attila Vegh (30-8-2) via KO (Punches) in 2:38 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Stefan Struve (2-1-0)
2016-10-08: W vs. [#44HW+] Daniel Omielanczuk (19-8-1) via Submission (Brabo Choke) in 1:41 of round 2
2016-05-08: W vs. [#37HW+] Antonio Silva (19-12-1) via KO (Elbows) in 0:16 of round 1
2015-11-14: L vs. [#39HW+] Jared Rosholt (15-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Alexander Volkov 140, Stefan Struve 329
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Alexander Volkov leads 1-0
.
Welterweight (170)
[#27] Leon Edwards (13-3-0, -293) vs. [#50] Bryan Barberena (13-4-0, +232)
Last 3 Fights: Leon Edwards (3-0-0)
2017-03-18: W vs. [#58WW] Vicente Luque (11-6-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2016-10-08: W vs. [#44WW] Albert Tumenov (18-4-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:01 of round 3
2016-05-08: W vs. [*] Dominic Waters (9-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Bryan Barberena (2-1-0)
2017-04-22: W vs. [#421WW] Joe Proctor (11-5-0) via TKO (Punches and Knees) in 3:30 of round 1
2016-12-17: L vs. [#19WW] Colby Covington (12-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2016-05-14: W vs. [#72WW] Warlley Alves (10-2-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-82)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Leon Edwards 168, Bryan Barberena 133
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Light Heavyweight (205)
[#33] Francimar Barroso (19-5-0, +100) vs. [#101] Aleksandar Rakic (8-1-0, -125)
Last 3 Fights: Francimar Barroso (1-1-0, 1 NC)
2017-03-18: W vs. [#106LHW] Darren Stewart (7-1-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2016-11-19: NC vs. [#106LHW] Darren Stewart (7-1-0)
2016-05-08: L vs. [#19LHW] Nikita Krylov (22-5-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:11 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Aleksandar Rakic (3-0-0)
2017-03-04: W vs. [#321LHW] Sergio Souza (15-15-0) via TKO (Punches) in ? of round 1
2015-06-20: W vs. [*] Martin Batur (4-3-0) via KO (Left Hook) in 0:26 of round 1
2014-12-06: W vs. [#34LHW] Marcin Prachnio (13-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:00 of round 3
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Francimar Barroso 168, Aleksandar Rakic 182
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Keep Reading
What Tactics Floyd Mayweather Can Expect from Conor McGregor
On Saturday, August 26, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will host one of the most hyped-up events of all time. Floyd Mayweather, who retired from boxing but boasts a 49-0 record, will be taking on two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor in a sanctioned boxing match.
This will be McGregor’s first ever meaningful boxing match, and without any of his mixed martial arts credentials on the line and a huge payday guaranteed, it could be said that the Irishman hasn’t got anything to lose. Mayweather, on the other hand, will be putting his untarnished record on the line, as well as boxing’s reputation – to an extent.
Sure he’s 40 years old and retired, but Floyd Mayweather will be taking on someone without a boxing record. Considered to be a great of the sport, a Mayweather loss would raise the standing of mixed martial arts above that of boxing in the eyes of many.
Mayweather needs to win this fight far more than McGregor does, and he’s expected to do so, but what can he expect from his upcoming opponent?
McGregor needs the knockout
Source: The Mac Life, via Twitter
At the first destination of the international four-city media tour to build-up the fight, Conor McGregor told the Los Angeles audience that he was going to knock out Floyd Mayweather in the fourth round, saying: “I am honored to be here, to give you this spectacle. His little legs, his little core, his little head, I am going to knock him out inside four rounds, mark my words.”
Many fighters, regardless of which sport they’re taking part in, will predict a round of victory during the build-up. This may be because they want to psych out their opponent and get that round in their head, or because they want their prediction to come true to receive praise from the press. In any case, they have no real way of knowing as anything can happen in the ring. Conversely, McGregor’s claim does hold some value.
Floyd Mayweather has never been defeated, never been knocked out, and has only been officially knocked down in a fight on one occasion. To add to that, the American’s last seven fights – all in Las Vegas, all wins – were decided by the judges, with only two of them not being unanimous decisions. If McGregor wants to win, he needs to knock out Mayweather.
Not only does he need to knock him out, but the Irishman should aim to do it quickly. As the fight progresses, Mayweather will simply get more comfortable up against the ropes and on the backfoot, bobbing and weaving, dodging the swings, and landing swift counter punches. It seems extremely unlikely that McGregor could defeat Mayweather in the eyes of the Las Vegas judges unless his knockout attempts achieve enough knockdowns to sway favor.
How Can Conor McGregor Defeat Floyd Mayweather?
As one would naturally assume, Floyd Mayweather – the former boxing world champion with a 49-0 record – is favored to defeat the two-weight UFC champion, Conor McGregor. Mayweather has years of boxing experience under his belt, and his defensive tactics have rendered him undefeated, whereas McGregor has never engaged in a meaningful boxing match.
So, with all of the odds stacked against him, how can the mixed martial arts star, Conor McGregor, defeat retired boxer-turned-promoter Floyd Mayweather in a sanctioned boxing match?
Mayweather lacks knockout power
Source: Sky Sports Boxing, via Twitter
Of course, if any fighter gets the right swing connecting with the right point, it can result in a knockout. However, Floyd Mayweather – who is hailed by many as one of the greatest boxers of his weight-class – hasn’t knocked an opponent out since Victor Ortiz in 2011.
Now, Mayweather has always utilized his defensive abilities to defeat opponents, but towards the end of his career, those skills became the center of his game plan. Against Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino threw in an inordinate number of punches, and yet Mayweather’s defense managed to fend many of them off – with the American winning by unanimous decision in his second home, Las Vegas.
Speaking of his second home, the last time that Mayweather fought outside of Las Vegas was in 2005, against Sharmba Mitchell in Portland. 12 of Mayweather’s last 14 fights – all in Las Vegas – have been decided by decision, with only the Ricky Hatton and Ortiz fights ending with a knockout.
Current MMA Rankings Updated (08-20-2017)
Notable Info
- Bantamweight rankings expanded to Top 400.
Mamoru Yamaguchi is a true pioneer of the flyweight division
This weekend, former two-division Shooto world champion and current flyweight King of Pancrase Mamoru Yamaguchi returns to action at Pancrase 289. The 40-year-old fighter will defend his title against Senzo Ikeda, and the card will air live on UFC Fight Pass.
Yamaguchi, currently ranked #26 in the flyweight division, might not be the most recognizable name to average MMA fans. However, you can’t tell the story of the MMA’s flyweight division without including him. In 2000, he became the first Shooto featherweight (132 pounds) champion with a victory over Jin Akimoto. Three years later, he took the first Shooto bantamweight (123 pounds) championship after defeating Yasuhiro Urushitani. Urushitani went on to participate in the tournament to determine the first UFC flyweight champion.
The following chart shows the percentage of Yamaguchi’s ranking points compared to the number-one ranked fighter in his division for each quarter of his career.
The higher the percentage, the closer to the number one ranking for Yamaguchi. This is a similar calculation used to determine the “Fight Matrix Most Lopsided Upset of the Year” award.
As you can see, Yamaguchi was not only a pioneer of the flyweight division but also a perennial contender until the UFC adopted the division in 2012. At his advanced age, it is impressive that he is still ranked near the flyweight top 25. His current run as King of Pancrase is a dignified culmination of a historic career, which, unfortunately, is rarely seen in the sport.
Richard Mann runs the data-driven combat sports blog StrikeScoreMMA.com You can follow him on Twitter @RichardAMann