Fight Matrix

The politics and pitfalls of becoming undisputed heavyweight champion

Posted on May 31, 2019 by A. J. Riot

The heavyweight division in boxing is now stronger than it has been in the past two decades. Between Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, boxing’s flagship division finally has a trio of heavyweights comparable to Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, who reigned at the top of the division in the 1990s.

There’s one problem, though: these top heavyweights aren’t fighting each other.

When Joshua – the reigning WBA, WBO and IBF champion – defends his belts against Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden on 1 June, much of the focus will be not on the title defence. What boxing fans really wish to see is a meeting with WBC champion Wilder. This would provide Joshua – who is favoured by boxing betting sites like Betway by as much as 33-1 to beat Ruiz – a chance to fight his equal and fulfill his goal of becoming the undisputed world champion.

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Fight Matrix Program – UFC on ESPN+ 11: Gustafsson vs. Smith (06-01-2019)

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Jason

Light Heavyweight (205)
[#4] Alexander Gustafsson (18-5-0, -307) vs. [#5] Anthony Smith (31-14-0, +245)
Alexander Gustafsson is the All-Time #20 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Alexander Gustafsson (2-1-0)
2018-12-29: L vs. [#1LHW/#7DD/#1P4P] Jon Jones (24-1-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:02 of round 3
2017-05-28: W vs. [#8LHW] Glover Teixeira (29-7-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:07 of round 5
2016-09-03: W vs. [#12LHW] Jan Blachowicz (23-8-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Anthony Smith (2-1-0)
2019-03-02: L vs. [#1LHW/#7DD/#1P4P] Jon Jones (24-1-0) via UD (48-44, 48-44, 48-44)
2018-10-27: W vs. [#10LHW] Volkan Oezdemir (15-4-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:26 of round 3
2018-07-22: W vs. [#23LHW] Mauricio Rua (26-11-0) via KO (Elbow) in 1:29 of round 1

Odds Favorite (Implied): Alexander Gustafsson – Win%: 72.23
Elo Favorite (Standard): Alexander Gustafsson (2023.87) [+38.26] – Win%: 54.36
Elo Favorite (Modified): Alexander Gustafsson (2066.46) [+86.57] – Win%: 59.36
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Alexander Gustafsson 154, Anthony Smith 91
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#10] Volkan Oezdemir (15-4-0, -120) vs. [#11] Ilir Latifi (14-6-0, -104)
Volkan Oezdemir is the All-Time #37 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Volkan Oezdemir (0-3-0)
2019-03-16: L vs. [#9LHW] Dominick Reyes (11-0-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2018-10-27: L vs. [#5LHW] Anthony Smith (31-14-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:26 of round 3
2018-01-20: L vs. [#1HW+/#4DD/#2P4P] Daniel Cormier (22-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:00 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Ilir Latifi (2-1-0)
2018-12-29: L vs. [#6LHW] Corey Anderson (12-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2018-02-24: W vs. [#26LHW] Ovince St. Preux (23-13-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 3:48 of round 1
2017-09-09: W vs. [#50LHW] Tyson Pedro (7-3-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Volkan Oezdemir – Win%: 51.69
Elo Favorite (Standard): Ilir Latifi (1797.69) [+110.23] – Win%: 62.33
Elo Favorite (Modified): Ilir Latifi (1820.13) [+92.57] – Win%: 60.00
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Volkan Oezdemir 77, Ilir Latifi 154
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#21] Jimi Manuwa (17-5-0, +177) vs. [#29] Aleksandar Rakic (11-1-0, -219)
Jimi Manuwa is the All-Time #47 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Jimi Manuwa (0-3-0)
2018-12-08: L vs. [#7LHW] Thiago Santos (21-6-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:41 of round 2
2018-03-17: L vs. [#12LHW] Jan Blachowicz (23-8-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
2017-07-29: L vs. [#10LHW] Volkan Oezdemir (15-4-0) via TKO in 0:22 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Aleksandar Rakic (3-0-0)
2018-12-08: W vs. [#76LHW] Devin Clark (9-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:05 of round 1
2018-07-22: W vs. [#132LHW] Justin Ledet (9-2-0) via UD (30-24, 30-24, 30-25)
2017-09-02: W vs. [#51HW+] Francimar Barroso (22-7-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Aleksandar Rakic – Win%: 65.53
Elo Favorite (Standard): Aleksandar Rakic (1717.89) [+53.64] – Win%: 56.10
Elo Favorite (Modified): Aleksandar Rakic (1708.94) [+18.23] – Win%: 51.99
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jimi Manuwa 175, Aleksandar Rakic 175
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)

Thursday, December 31st 2026: Rizin FF Super Rizin 6: Shiwasu no Owarinagoya Gekokujo Matsuri

[#1 W105] Natalia Kuziutina

[#4 W105] Saori Oshima

Last Fight Date: 9/10/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation]
Last Opponent: [#18 W105] Rena Kubota
Last 5: W W W W W

Last Fight Date: 7/18/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation]
Last Opponent: [#13 W105] Ye Ji Lee
Last 5: L W L W W

Sunday, December 13th 2026: Deep - 135 Impact

[#3 SW] Sukai China

[#4 SW] Jo Arai

Last Fight Date: 5/04/2026 [DEEP]
Last Opponent: [#6 SW] Sora Sugiyama
Last 5: W W W W W

Last Fight Date: 9/13/2026 [DEEP]
Last Opponent: [#23 SW] Daichi Kitakata
Last 5: L L W L W

Sunday, December 13th 2026: Deep Tokyo Impact 2026 6th Round

[#6 SW] Sora Sugiyama

[#10 SW] Goal Makino

Last Fight Date: 9/20/2026 [DEEP]
Last Opponent: [NR] Musashi Musashi
Last 5: W W W L W

Last Fight Date: 9/06/2026 [DEEP]
Last Opponent: [#42 SW] Toshiya Takashima
Last 5: W W W W W

Featured Fighters

[#18 W125]	Lucia Szabova	[#1 WW]	Islam Makhachev
[#18 LW]	Renato Carneiro	[#1 FW]	Alexander Volkanovski
[#13 LW]	Tom Nolan	[#26 WW]	Jacobe Smith
[#102 W125]	Tainara Lisboa	[#1 LW]	Justin Gaethje
[#2 LW]	Ilia Topuria	[#8 HW]	Josh Hokit

Current MMA Rankings Updated (05-26-2019)

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Jason

Notable Info

Very slight tweak to prevent excessive rating inflation in draws. This is a much milder version of the one that has existed for non-draws since 2013.

Current MMA Rankings Updated (05-19-2019)

Posted on May 19, 2019 by Jason

Life After the Olympics: is MMA in the cards for Burroughs?

Posted on May 17, 2019 by A. J. Riot

Top flight athletes are always looking at what to do after their current career comes to a conclusion. But for gold medal Olympic wrestler Jordan Burroughs, will he give the fans what they want and make the jump to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)? Bonusbets.com reports on the subject.

Jordan Burroughs himself isn’t saying much yet about any potential move, though he knows the lure of the octagon having witnessed many other wrestlers make the same jump.

“I’ve arrived at a place too where I’m seeing all of these guys that I once trained alongside become champions—and this is not a shot at any of those dudes—but if these guys can become champion, then I know I can become a champion because I possess all the same qualities that these guys possess.

It’s exciting, it’s exciting. It’s something that I’d definitely consider. If I do consider fighting, it won’t be until after the Olympic games in 2020, and then from there I’ll reevaluate, see if it’s something that would be a realistic option for me.”

Speaking on The MMA Hour (via MMA Fighting) Burroughs was asked about a potential future in MMA and had this to say:

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Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night 152: dos Anjos vs. Lee (05-18-2019)

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Jason

Welterweight (170)
[#6] Rafael dos Anjos (28-11-0, -118) vs. [#9LW] Kevin Lee (17-4-0, -105)
Rafael dos Anjos is the All-Time #28 ranked Welterweight and #32 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Rafael dos Anjos (1-2-0)
2018-11-30: L vs. [#1WW/#5DD/#5P4P] Kamaru Usman (15-1-0) via UD (49-45, 50-43, 48-47)
2018-06-09: L vs. [#3WW] Colby Covington (14-1-0) via UD (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
2017-12-16: W vs. [#17WW] Robbie Lawler (28-13-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

Last 3 Fights: Kevin Lee (1-2-0)
2018-12-15: L vs. [#8LW] Al Iaquinta (15-5-1) via UD (48-47, 49-46, 48-47)
2018-04-21: W vs. [#12LW] Edson Barboza (20-7-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 2:18 of round 5
2017-10-07: L vs. [#3LW/#9DD/#10P4P] Tony Ferguson (24-3-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 4:02 of round 3

Odds Favorite (Implied): Rafael dos Anjos – Win%: 51.38
Elo Favorite (Standard): Rafael dos Anjos (2047.37) [+52.95] – Win%: 56.02
Elo Favorite (Modified): Rafael dos Anjos (2019.16) [+49.47] – Win%: 55.39
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Rafael dos Anjos 169, Kevin Lee 154
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#27] Vicente Luque (15-6-1) vs. [#75] Derrick Krantz (24-10-0)

Last 3 Fights: Vicente Luque (3-0-0)
2019-02-17: W vs. [#68WW] Bryan Barberena (14-6-0) via TKO (Knees and Punches) in 4:54 of round 3
2018-10-06: W vs. [#269LW] Jalin Turner (8-5-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:52 of round 1
2018-05-19: W vs. [#158WW] Chad Laprise (13-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:16 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Derrick Krantz (3-0-0)
2019-03-29: W vs. [#205WW] Justin Patterson (11-5-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:23 of round 1
2018-10-27: W vs. [#181MW] Hayward Charles (17-13-0) via TKO in 4:47 of round 2
2018-06-08: W vs. [#191WW] Kassius Holdorf (11-6-0) via SD ()

Elo Favorite (Standard): Vicente Luque (1853.26) [+175.89] – Win%: 69.08
Elo Favorite (Modified): Vicente Luque (1866.68) [+167.08] – Win%: 67.51
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Vicente Luque 90, Derrick Krantz 50
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Women Bantamweight (135)
[#6] Aspen Ladd (7-0-0, -297) vs. [#13] Sijara Eubanks (4-2-0, +237)

Last 3 Fights: Aspen Ladd (3-0-0)
2018-10-06: W vs. [#15BW] Tonya Evinger (19-7-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:26 of round 1
2017-10-21: W vs. [#27BW] Lina Lansberg (8-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:33 of round 2
2017-01-14: W vs. [#13BW] Sijara Eubanks (4-2-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Sijara Eubanks (2-1-0)
2018-11-03: W vs. [#15FLY] Roxanne Modafferi (23-15-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2018-06-01: W vs. [#33FLY] Lauren Murphy (10-4-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
2017-01-14: L vs. [#6BW] Aspen Ladd (7-0-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Aspen Ladd – Win%: 71.60
Elo Favorite (Standard): Aspen Ladd (1567.55) [+3.15] – Win%: 50.36
Elo Favorite (Modified): Aspen Ladd (1618.58) [+35.80] – Win%: 53.91
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Aspen Ladd 224, Sijara Eubanks 196
Previous Match-up Record: Aspen Ladd leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Current MMA Rankings Updated (05-12-2019)

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Jason

Fight Matrix Program – UFC 237: Namajunas vs. Andrade (05-11-2019)

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Jason

Women Strawweight Championship (115)
[#1/#3DD/#2P4P] Rose Namajunas (8-3-0, +103) vs. [#2/#6DD/#3P4P] Jessica Andrade (19-6-0, -127)
Rose Namajunas is the All-Time #16 ranked Women’s fighter.
Jessica Andrade is the All-Time #29 ranked Women’s fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Rose Namajunas (3-0-0)
2018-04-07: W vs. [#3SW/#8DD/#10P4P] Joanna Jedrzejczyk (15-3-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
2017-11-04: W vs. [#3SW/#8DD/#10P4P] Joanna Jedrzejczyk (15-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:03 of round 1
2017-04-15: W vs. [#8SW] Michelle Waterson (17-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:47 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Jessica Andrade (3-0-0)
2018-09-08: W vs. [#13SW] Karolina Kowalkiewicz (12-4-0) via KO (Punch) in 1:58 of round 1
2018-02-24: W vs. [#14SW] Tecia Torres (10-4-0) via UD (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
2017-09-22: W vs. [#9SW] Claudia Gadelha (16-4-0) via UD (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Jessica Andrade – Win%: 53.17
Elo Favorite (Standard): Jessica Andrade (1833.54) [+0.25] – Win%: 50.03
Elo Favorite (Modified): Rose Namajunas (1825.65) [+7.32] – Win%: 50.80
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Rose Namajunas 399, Jessica Andrade 245
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Rose Namajunas leads 4-3
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Middleweight (185)
[#13] Jared Cannonier (11-4-0, -155) vs. [#15] Anderson Silva (34-9-0, +129)
Anderson Silva is the All-Time #1 ranked Middleweight and #4 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Jared Cannonier (1-2-0)
2018-11-03: W vs. [#18MW] David Branch (22-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:29 of round 2
2018-05-19: L vs. [#9LHW] Dominick Reyes (11-0-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:55 of round 1
2017-12-16: L vs. [#13LHW] Jan Blachowicz (23-8-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Anderson Silva (1-2-0)
2019-02-09: L vs. [#4MW] Israel Adesanya (17-0-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2017-02-11: W vs. [#10MW] Derek Brunson (19-7-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
2016-07-09: L vs. [#1HW+/#3DD/#2P4P] Daniel Cormier (22-1-0) via UD (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Jared Cannonier – Win%: 58.19
Elo Favorite (Standard): Anderson Silva (1901.79) [+274.90] – Win%: 77.83
Elo Favorite (Modified): Anderson Silva (1933.45) [+299.20] – Win%: 78.75
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jared Cannonier 189, Anderson Silva 91
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Featherweight (145)
[#2/#8DD] Jose Aldo (28-4-0, -136) vs. [#5] Alexander Volkanovski (19-1-0, +111)
Jose Aldo is the All-Time #1 ranked Featherweight and #3 ranked Absolute fighter.
Alexander Volkanovski is the All-Time #44 ranked Featherweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Jose Aldo (2-1-0)
2019-02-02: W vs. [#10FW] Renato Carneiro (13-2-1) via TKO (Punches) in 0:44 of round 2
2018-07-28: W vs. [#9FW] Jeremy Stephens (28-16-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:19 of round 1
2017-12-02: L vs. [#1FW/#2DD/#8P4P] Max Holloway (20-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:51 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Alexander Volkanovski (3-0-0)
2018-12-29: W vs. [*] Chad Mendes (18-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:14 of round 2
2018-07-14: W vs. [#16FW] Darren Elkins (24-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2018-02-10: W vs. [#67FW] Jeremy Kennedy (13-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:57 of round 2

Odds Favorite (Implied): Jose Aldo – Win%: 54.87
Elo Favorite (Standard): Jose Aldo (2179.17) [+84.45] – Win%: 59.53
Elo Favorite (Modified): Jose Aldo (2170.79) [+98.87] – Win%: 60.65
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jose Aldo 98, Alexander Volkanovski 133
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Jose Aldo leads 2-1
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Current MMA Rankings Updated (05-05-2019)

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Jason

Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night 151: Iaquinta vs. Cerrone (05-04-2019)

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Jason

Lightweight (155)
[#4] Donald Cerrone (35-11-0, +102) vs. [#6] Al Iaquinta (15-4-1, -126)
Donald Cerrone is the All-Time #17 ranked Lightweight fighter.
Al Iaquinta is the All-Time #43 ranked Lightweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Donald Cerrone (2-1-0)
2019-01-19: W vs. [#15LW] Alexander Hernandez (10-2-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:42 of round 2
2018-11-10: W vs. [#21WW] Mike Perry (13-4-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:46 of round 1
2018-06-23: L vs. [#13WW] Leon Edwards (17-3-0) via UD (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)

Last 3 Fights: Al Iaquinta (2-1-0)
2018-12-15: W vs. [#7LW] Kevin Lee (17-4-0) via UD (48-47, 49-46, 48-47)
2018-04-07: L vs. [#2LW/#6DD/#9P4P] Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0-0) via UD (50-44, 50-43, 50-43)
2017-04-22: W vs. [#54WW] Diego Sanchez (29-11-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:38 of round 1

Odds Favorite (Implied): Al Iaquinta – Win%: 52.96
Elo Favorite (Standard): Al Iaquinta (2106.46) [+121.90] – Win%: 63.57
Elo Favorite (Modified): Al Iaquinta (2034.11) [+73.35] – Win%: 57.96
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Donald Cerrone 105, Al Iaquinta 140
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Al Iaquinta leads 1-0
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Middleweight (185)
[#13] Derek Brunson (18-7-0, -112) vs. [#18] Elias Theodorou (16-2-0, -112)
Derek Brunson is the All-Time #48 ranked Middleweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Derek Brunson (1-2-0)
2018-11-03: L vs. [#4MW] Israel Adesanya (17-0-0) via TKO (Knees and Punches) in 4:51 of round 1
2018-01-27: L vs. [#7MW] Ronaldo Souza (26-7-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:50 of round 1
2017-10-28: W vs. [#11MW] Lyoto Machida (25-8-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:30 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Elias Theodorou (3-0-0)
2018-12-08: W vs. [#59LHW] Eryk Anders (11-4-0) via SD (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
2018-05-27: W vs. [#55MW] Trevor Smith (15-9-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2017-11-18: W vs. [*] Daniel Kelly (13-4-0) via UD (30-28, 30-27, 30-26)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Derek Brunson – Win%: 50.00
Elo Favorite (Standard): Elias Theodorou (1916.76) [+98.11] – Win%: 61.02
Elo Favorite (Modified): Elias Theodorou (1869.13) [+40.07] – Win%: 54.37
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Derek Brunson 182, Elias Theodorou 147
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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Featherweight (145)
[#24] Cub Swanson (25-10-0, +142) vs. [#39] Shane Burgos (11-1-0, -171)
Cub Swanson is the All-Time #15 ranked Featherweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Cub Swanson (0-3-0)
2018-08-04: L vs. [#10FW] Renato Carneiro (13-2-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:15 of round 1
2018-04-21: L vs. [#4FW] Frankie Edgar (23-6-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2017-12-09: L vs. [#3FW] Brian Ortega (14-1-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 3:22 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Shane Burgos (2-1-0)
2018-11-03: W vs. [#183LW] Kurt Holobaugh (17-6-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 2:11 of round 1
2018-01-20: L vs. [#29FW] Calvin Kattar (19-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:32 of round 3
2017-07-22: W vs. [#241LW] Godofredo Castro (14-6-0) via UD (30-26, 30-26, 29-28)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Shane Burgos – Win%: 60.42
Elo Favorite (Standard): Cub Swanson (1781.75) [+60.54] – Win%: 56.87
Elo Favorite (Modified): Cub Swanson (1753.86) [+35.76] – Win%: 53.91
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Cub Swanson 273, Shane Burgos 182
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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