Recovering from his loss to Teófimo Lopez, Lomachenko will get a shot to put his name back on the top in the upcoming bout with Masayoshi Nakatani. The odds favor him.
Lomachenko Listed as Favorite in Nakatani Bout
Following his upset defeat to Teófimo Lopez in October, Vasiliy Lomachenko is returning for a chance to prove his mettle once again in the upcoming fight against Masayoshi Nakatani. The 33-year-old Ukrainian lost a close bout against Lopez via unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Conference Center.
Judges voted 116-112, 119-109, and 117-111 in favor of Lopez effectively stripping Lomachenko from the WBA, WBO and IBF titles. Is another bout between the two on the cards? That depends on how Lomachenko does this Saturday against Lopez at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Nakatani’s own track record is pretty formidable, with the Japanese fighter having suffered a single defeat in 20 fights so far. He has clocked in more KOs than Lomachenko as well. Yet, the odds seem to favor Lomachenko as the sho-in for the upcoming bout.
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Masayoshi Nakatani Odds
FighterMoneylineVasiliy Lomachenko-1400Masayoshi Nakatani+700
When Is Lomachenko vs Nakatani?Date: Saturday, June 26Time: 10 pm ETWhere Is Lomachenko vs. Nakatani Taking Place?Virgin Hotels Las VegasWhere to Watch Lomachenko vs. Nakatani?UK: Sky SportsUS: ESPN+ Vasiliy Lomachenko: Eager to Get Back
After the close bout with Lopez, Lomachenko is eager to fight an opponent who will redeem him. The Ukrainian has lost two fights already in his division, but if there is one thing that puts him apart from others is that Lomachenko never shied from a challenge.
He has fought the likes of Luke Campbell (20-2-0), Jose Pedraza (25-1-0), and Jorge Linares (44-3-0) and has won on all occasions, proving his mettle. Lopez proved to be a tough nut to crack indeed, and Lomachenko was visibly not quite capable of keeping up.
But if anything, Lopez secured a few punches more, which resulted in tilting the score in his favor, albeit by not too much. He didn’t knock Lomachenko out, which would have been the only way to prove that he is actually better.
In fact, Lomachenko has not given up on the idea of a rematch, but Nakatani will have to go first. Lomachenko is a little short on the reach, with 65.5 inches against Nakatani’s 71 inches. Once again, the Ukrainian’s opponents will post superior physical attributes, but this doesn’t necessarily translate into a better fighting technique.
Tale of the Tape: Lomachenko vs Nakatani
Vasiliy LomachenkoFighterMasayoshi NakataniUkraineNationalityJapan33Age325′ 7″Height5’11”65.5″Reach71″16Total Fights2014-2, 10 KOsRecord19-1, 3 KOs
Can Nakatani Bring another Win Home?
Masayoshi Nakatani is a worthwhile opponent in the upcoming bout and he definitely has a lot to offer. A year younger than his opponent, Nakatani is in a good form and he has a total of 20 fights, losing a single time to none other than Teófimo Lopez.
To put it this way, both Nakatani and Lomachenko are looking to get back at Lopez, but they will have each other in the way for that to happen. Nakatani has posted victories against a series of important opponents, including Krai Setthaphon (23-1-0), Amphol Suriyo (22-2 7BALL CC -0) and Felix Verdejo (27-1-0).
You may argue that Lomachenko has fought better opponents hence why he is posted as a (-1400). Nakatani though will have a strong shot at upsetting Saturday’s expectations, though, so make sure to pay close attention.
