NBC Sports Quick Picks

Anatoliy Dudchenko vs. Nadjib Mohammedi: On Saturday night most boxing fans will be tuned in to the Showtime card.  But there will also be earlier fights on NBC Sports which should act as a nice appetizer for the big fights.  The main event of the NBC Sports card will feature light heavyweights Anatoliy Dudchenko (19-2, 13 KO) and Nadjib Mohammedi (34-3, 20 KO).  That fight will be an IBF light heavyweight title eliminator and is scheduled to go 12 rounds.  While both fighters have good career records they are also very deceiving.  Dudchenko has feasted on below average opposition and most of Mohammedi's fights have come in France which isn't exactly a hotbed for boxing, although he has been in the ring with Tomasz Adamek and Nathan Cleverly both of whom are good fighters and he actually stopped Adamek in the 4th round of their fight.  Dudchenko has an awkward style and throws his jab much like Wladimir Klitschko does, from the hip.  Dudchenko fights with both hands low and is constantly moving in the ring but his movement is unnecessary at times and he takes a lot of clean punches upstairs.  With his long jab Dudchenko also has a wild right hand that isn't quite straight but also isn't over the top.  One thing Dudchenko can and will do pretty often is switch up from orthodox to southpaw and it seems his changing styles and constant motion frustrate his opponents more than any of his punches do.  When Dudchenko straightens his punches out he has some good pop behind them but to often he looks tired and throws wide.  Unlike his awkward opponent, Mohammedi has a much more classic style and fights behind a high guard.  He throws a nice sharp jab and quick left hook he likes to bring to the body.  Along with that Mohammedi also has a nice crisp straight right hand and although he doesn't use his feet as much as Dudchenko he does make small, intelligent movements that keep him in position to punch.  He usually does that to set up his very good right uppercut which he loves to throw at close range.  Neither of these fighters are particularly well known in the U.S. and because of their lackluster competition there is no telling how good, or bad they actually are.  This is a fairly even matchup that should provide fans with good action.  I think Dudchenko will really bother Mohammedi early with his awkward style and movement but things will slow down in the middle rounds and Mohammedi will be able to take control and win this fight by the way of 9th round stoppage.

Karl Dargan vs. Anthony Flores: The opening bout for NBC Sports will feature two prospects who are looking to make a name for themselves in front of a television audience.  Those prospects are the undefeated Karl Dargan (15-0, 7 KO) and Anthony Flores (11-4-1, 6 KO) and they are set to go 10 rounds in the in the lightweight division.  After a successful amateur career Dargan is looking to find equal success as a pro and at 29 years old he needs to start making moves now.  Dargan is a counter punching orthodox fighter with a lightning fast straight right hand.  That straight right hand is Dargan's best punch but he also carries a nice jab and left hook in his tool bag.  On defense Dargan is solid but he will go straight back at times which gets him caught upstairs.  Because he is a counter puncher Dargan isn't the busiest fighter in the world but his hand speed is impressive and it will interesting to see how he handles better opposition as he moves forward in his career.  Before that happens though Dargan will have to get past Flores.  While Dargan will be the chess playing counter puncher in this fight Flores will be the aggressive puncher.  That style sees Flores stand in front of his opponent and he usually takes a good share of punishment.  The jab from Flores is ok at best and his biggest punch if probably his right hand.  One thing to take note of is the fact that after three straight losses from 2010-2011 Flores didn't fight at all until 2014 and so far this year he has gone 2-0 including a nice win over prospect Mike Faragon.  Between these two fighters it is Flores who has been in with better competition mostly because he has fought Arash Usmanee who is a nice fighter.  Also stamina could play a huge role in this bout because Flores has only gone 8 rounds once in his career and most of his fights have only gone 6 while Dargan has gone 8 rounds once and 10 rounds once.  If one of these fighter fades late look for the other to capitalize but expect Dargan to be stronger later.  Already with four losses in his young career Flores doesn't look like much of a prospect and his best weapon in the lightweight division is probably his 5'10'' frame but that won't help him against Dargan who stands 5'9''.  I think Dargan is the much better fighter and he will be able to pick Flores apart with his sharp counter punching on his way to a unanimous decision victory.