Gassiev vs Yoka: Nine Days Out, Iron Defends At Home

• Murat Gassiev defends his WBA heavyweight title against France's Tony Yoka at the VTB Arena in Moscow on July 11
• Gassiev fights at home as a heavy favourite, while former Olympic champion Yoka needs a career-best night on the road
• Luke backs 'Iron' Gassiev to break Yoka down and stop him in the second half of the fight

Fight Week Is Almost Here

Right then, we're nine days out and the heavyweight scene has a live one in Moscow. Murat Gassiev makes the first defence of his WBA heavyweight title against Tony Yoka at the VTB Arena on July 11, and with Oleksandr Usyk having just vacated the rest of the belts, the WBA strap suddenly carries a lot more weight than it did a fortnight ago. Make no mistake, "Iron" Gassiev at home is a serious problem. He's a proper body puncher with heavy hands and championship-round pedigree — this is a man who went twelve hard rounds with Usyk himself in the cruiserweight final of the World Boxing Super Series. He's not the fastest, but he grinds you down and he hurts you to the ribs.

Can Yoka Pull The Upset?

Tony Yoka is the puzzle here. A former Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist with the frame and the amateur pedigree to trouble anyone on his night — but let's be honest, his professional career has stalled and he's been beaten when he's stepped up. On the road, in a hostile building, against a big puncher, that's a tall order. If Yoka boxes long, uses his jab and his legs and keeps it at range, he can nick rounds. The trouble is he tends to fight in bursts and switch off, and against Gassiev that's how you end up folded over from a shot to the body.

My Verdict

Time to call it. I'm not sitting on the fence — Gassiev is the harder puncher, the more proven operator and he's fighting at home. Yoka will have his moments early behind the jab, but Iron walks him down and gets to the body. I'm backing Gassiev to stop Yoka in the second half of the fight and hold onto his belt. A good night for the champion, and the start of a WBA title picture that just got a lot more interesting.