While all of the boxing eyes may be on the heavyweight unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk this weekend, there is also a compelling contest in the United States, as Emanuel Navarrete defends his WBO featherweight title against Eduardo Baez. You can find out more about the fighters and the latest odds here.
Tale of the Tape
| Emanuel Navarrete | Eduardo Baez | |
| 27 | Age | 27 |
| 5 ft 7 in | Height | 5 ft 9 in |
| 72 in | Reach | 70 in |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| 35-1 | Record | 21-2-2 |
Latest Odds
The BetXchange betting markets show that Emanuel Navarrete is the clear favourite to retain his titles this weekend, as he is currently 1/16 with the leading bookmaker. Eduardo Baez is the outsider for the bout this weekend, as he is a 6/1 chance with the same bookmaker. However, he would by no means be the biggest outsider to win a world title fight.
Navarrete Looking To Continue Dominance
It has been an excellent professional career for Emanuel Navarrete, as the Mexican fighter has already held world titles in two different divisions. He held the WBO junior featherweight title from December 2018 until July 2020, and has also held the WBO featherweight title since 2020. Navarrete is currently regarded as the world’s best featherweight boxer, and has been in excellent form since beating Ruben Villa to become the champion.
In his next fight, he recorded a 29th professional knockout victory, as he stopped Christopher Diaz in the 12th round. However, it has been a while since we last saw the Mexican in the ring, as he beat Joet Gonzalez by unanimous decision back in October 2021. His professional career hasn’t been without its setbacks, though. He did suffer a defeat in just his sixth professional bout, as he lost by unanimous decision against Daniel Argueta. However, that only defeat came over ten years ago.
Baez Looking To Produce Shock Result
Eduardo Baez is the massive outsider for this world title showdown on Saturday. The record does indicate that he could have potential issues this weekend, as he has already lost on two occasions, and has been held to two further draws to this point of his career.
However, he did bounce back from defeat against Ra’eese Aleem on his previous outing, as he defeated Enrique Vivas by majority decision in Las Vegas earlier this year. The one thing that is certainly in his favour this weekend is the fact that he has been more active throughout 2022. However, the calibre of opponents that he has faced throughout his career does leave something to prove this weekend. But, he is likely to give a very good account of himself.
Emanuel Navarrete vs Eduardo Baez Prediction
It looks so hard to see past Navarrete successfully defending his title this weekend, as he still looks like a fighter that is improving every time that he steps in the ring. However, we don’t see it being a straightforward fight for the Mexican, as we could see it going the distance.
