Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ricardo Espinoza Franco Preview and Picks December 14

Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ricardo Espinoza Franco Betting Preview

Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ricardo Espinoza Franco takes place at Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo, Monaco boxing in a Super bantamweight bout on Saturday, December 14 as WagerTalk boxing handicapper Kevin Dolan gives his Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ricardo Espinoza Franco betting preview with the match set to start around 5:00pm ET.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ricardo Espinoza Betting Odds

Saturday, December 14	Boxing Betting Notes (Courtesy of DraftKings)
Moneyline:	Murodjon Akhmadaliev -1200 vs Ricardo Espinoza+750
Rounds:	N/A
Start Time:	5:00pm ET / 2:00pm PT
Arena:	Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo, Monaco
TV:	DAZN

Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ricardo Espinoza Betting Analysis

Former unified super-bantamweight champion Murodjon ‘MJ’ Akhmadaliev will take only his second fight back since losing his titles 18 months ago to Marlon Tapales when he takes on tough Mexican contender Ricardo Espinoza Franco this weekend over in Monaco.

MJ, who has consistently been calling out the ‘Monster’ Naoya Inoue since December of last year after Inoue claimed MJ’s former belts with a win over his conqueror Marlon Tapales in Tokyo, wants his shot at the undisputed Japanese king, but may have to wait a little longer with Inoue slated to face Sam Goodman in Tokyo at the end of this month.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev comes into this fight as the prohibitive -1200 favorite at most books, with Ricardo Espinoza Franco coming back as a +750 underdog.

Akhmadaliev Goes Monster Hunting

Naoya Inoue, the Monster, has been a major thorn in Akhmadaliev’s side ever since he moved up to the 122lbs division last summer, with the highly-anticipated showdown between himself and Stephen Fulton never materializing due not only to MJ’s surprise loss against Marlon Tapales, but also the fact that Fulton opted to travel over to Japan himself to face Naoya Inoue, a decision that cost him his titles.

Former foe Marlon Tapales followed suit not long after, engaging Inoue in a four-belt showdown in Japan rather than give Akhmadaliev the rematch he so badly wanted.

Obviously, there were understandable reasons as to why both men opted to go that route, not least among them vastly increased paydays plus belts on the line, but it will give Akhmadaliev little comfort knowing that in a division he once ruled in a little over 18 months ago, has since been taken over by the ferocious Japanese P4P star.

Franco Has Been Around The Block

Despite being the younger of the two fighters heading into this one, Ricardo Espinoza Franco is a fighter who has vastly more professional experience than MJ has up to this point in their respective careers, fighting against some of the top talent in the division as well.

Two of Franco’s most recent losses came against Danny Roman and John Riel Casimero, both former champions, with Franco giving a really good account of himself against Roman in their fight back in 2021 also, so he should no doubt prove problematic for MJ in parts on Saturday as well.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ricardo Espinoza Expert Prediction

Murodjon Akhmadaliev was a former unified champion for a reason, being a highly technical boxer-puncher with a solid foundation, a foundation that saw him take Gold, Silver, and Bronze at the Asian, World, and Olympic Games respectively.

MJ’s accuracy with his power shots is among one of the very best in the sport, with his 45.3% power connect percentage placing him top-ten in the sport, and just 0.3% shy of P4P stars such as Terence Crawford for reference.

MJ carries his power throughout the fight as well, finishing the tough Ronny Rios in the final round of their fight back in 2022, with the Uzbekistan fighter owning an impressive 75% KO percentage across his career so far.

With Inoue facing Goodman on the very near horizon, and MJ being ranked as Inoue’s mandatory with the WBA, this will be a perfect opportunity to shine this weekend and lock in that fight for early next year, a fight he’s been constantly craving for the last year.

Take Murodjon Akhmadaliev to get the late stoppage victory on Saturday against Ricardo Espinoza Franco in Monaco.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ricardo Espinoza Prediction: Murodjon Akhmadaliev to Win in Rounds 7-12 (+100)

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