Efe Ajagba vs Zhan Kossobutskiy Prediction and Picks August 26

Efe Ajagba vs Zhan Kossobutskiy Betting Preview

Efe Ajagba and Zhan Kossobutskiy head to Tulsa, OK to box in a 10-round heavyweight match on Saturday, August 26 as WagerTalk boxing handicapper Kevin Dolan gives his Efe Ajagba vs Zhan Kossobutskiy prediction and picks set for 10:30pm ET.

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Efe Ajagba vs Zhan Kossobutskiy Betting Odds

Saturday, August 26	Boxing Betting Notes (Courtesy of Caesars)
Moneyline:	Efe Ajagba -105 vs Zhan Kossobutskiy -105
Rounds:	TBD
Fight Time:	10:30pm ET / 7:30pm PT
Arena:	Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, OK
TV:	ESPN

Efe Ajagba vs Zhan Kossobutskiy Betting Analysis

Two mammoth punchers collide on Saturday night over in Tulsa, Oklahoma as Nigerian powerhouse Efe Ajagba takes on huge Kazakh hitter Zhan Kossobutskiy as the co-main event for this weekend’s Jared Anderson vs. Andrii Rudenko card.

Ajagba has just one loss on his resume to date, that coming via a lopsided decision against top Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez almost two years ago. Since then however, ‘The Silent Roller’ has put together two solid victories back-to-back as he looks to climb once again onto the world stage with another victory this weekend against Kossobutskiy in Tulsa.

His opponent, Zhan Kossobutskiy, was meant to be the main attraction just last month, taking on the fighter who many consider to be the next big thing in the heavyweight division in Jared ‘Big Baby’ Anderson, who headlines the main fight card in Tulsa this Saturday.

However, Kossobutskiy was forced to withdraw from that bout due to experiencing visa issues, with Anderson going on to secure a harder-than-expected points decision victory over stand-in opponent and former world heavyweight champion Charles Martin back on July 1st.

Kossobutskiy will no doubt be aware that an impressive victory for him on Saturday night will guarantee him another shot at the young heavyweight phenom in the very near future.

Ajagba Punches With Intent

With 12 of his first 13 opponents failing to go the distance, including the infamous Curtis Harper fight in which Harper left the ring after just one second, the fastest recorded victory ever, Efe Ajagba certainly isn’t a fighter that messes around in the ring, as he can hit with destructive force from either hand.

However, since getting tagged badly against Iago Kiladze four years ago, and again by Frank Sanchez, being sent to the canvas in both fights, we’ve started to see a more measured approach from Efe Ajagba of late.

He boxed patiently behind a jab in his most recent win against Stephan Shaw which is something he may well look to do again on Saturday against Kossobutskiy.

Kossobutskiy Looking For That Next Level

After a late start to his professional career, Zhan Kossobutskiy took the express train over the opening stage of his career, fighting five times in 2018, four times in 2019, and three times in 2022.

However, with no fights being fought so far across 2023 and being out of the ring for a full nine months heading into Saturday night, it’s imperative that Zhan Kossobutskiy reignites that momentum once again as turning 35 in November means he’s definitely already on the waning end of his career.

That said, while being a smaller heavyweight in stature compared with the majority of fighters in the division, giving up a full three inches in height on Saturday night, Kossobutskiy certainly doesn’t lack in the power department, stopping 18 of his 19 opponents to date, including some tough veterans such as Kamil Sokolowski and Johann Duhaupas.

Efe Ajagba vs Zhan Kossobutskiy Expert Prediction

There’s no question that despite Efe Ajagba’s overall amateur pedigree, winning gold at the African Games and a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland also, Zhan Kossobutskiy is the better of these two fighters from a technical standpoint.

Kossobutskiy is patient, he looks to probe for openings, and he can hit with a ton of force from either hand also when required, which makes him an incredibly tricky foe for Efe Ajagba this weekend.

Ajagba has developed his jab over the last few fights, landing 90+ jabs on Stephan Shaw alone in his last outing, which makes him dangerous, especially as he marries that ramrod jab with his trademark lethal overhand right as well which has the ability to end anybody’s night if it lands cleans.

That said, Efe Ajagba is a little stiff in fights and often fights too upright, a fact that likely won’t be lost on Kossobutskiy ahead of this one. Kossobutskiy’s better overall positioning and punch selection will likely be the difference-maker in this fight as long as he can steer clear of Ajagba’s vicious power, something likely easier said than done.

This should be a great fight on Saturday night and one that either fighter could potentially end early, or indeed end up going the full distance, as both fighters have shown the ability to go deep in fights of late and not rely solely on their power.

That said, Kossobutskiy has the greater overall skillset heading into this one, and even as the smaller man, we’re tipping him to get the victory this weekend as the marginal underdog.

Play: Zhan Kossobutskiy (-105)


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