David Morrell comes in the light heavyweight fight tonight as the favorite against Olympic bronze medalist Imam Khataev in 2020 at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. Morrell (11-1, 9 COs) is fighting a man with power and style who is considered Artur Betterbiev in Khataev (10-0, 9 COs) in their ten-round fighting tonight.
Dazn ppv Fighting information
On paper, Morrell-Khataev is the most pleasant battle on tonight’s Edgar Berlanga against Hamzah Sheeraz card. The event will be streamed Live on dazn PPV for $ 59.99.
Khataev’s threat to Morrell
Khataev’s high-pressure style of fights, power and in-fuel capacity makes him a threat to Morrell if he prefers to act in a counter-to-tone battle. Imam sits more on his shots and has an excellent power for Morrell’s last opponent, David Banavidez. So it is not a good idea for the Cuban to take action against Khataev as he did against the ‘Mexican monster’ last February.
Morrell says he learned from his defeat to benavidez and will not make the same mistakes as last time by “Play around.“What I think Morrell means is that he will fight aggressively from the beginning, throw combinations and not play Possum by covering long stretching.
He didn’t fight as he had to win. Morrell can’t do that tonight because he could be knocked out by Khataev. The Russian fighter thrives on guys who cover long stretches.
Disease rumors affect Morrell?
There were rumors that Morrell, 27, was ill all week. He disappeared after we weighed on Friday and was not present with Khataev. This has questioned fans whether he will be 100% on Saturday. Morrell goes against the wrong kind of fighter if he struggles against a disease.
Khataev showed vulnerability in his fights. His ability to fight hard in his fights is questionable; He has slow feet and gives eight inches to Morrell. These are important things that Khataev has against him, in addition to the slower hand speed.
Last March, Khataev beat his last fight against veteran Durval Elias Palacio, and his face was badly swollen around the eyes and cheeks. He worked Palacio for the first seven rounds, but then threw out in eighth place. Palacio arrived and stopped him close.
My prediction was Morrell by a 10-round decision. Khataev has excellent defense, and he will be able to handle Morrell’s heavy shots without stopping.
Last updated on 07/12/2025
