Otabek Kholmatov vs Raymond Ford Preview March 2nd, 2024
The vacant WBA Featherweight Title is on the line in Verona, New York this Saturday, March 2nd as undefeated Raymond Ford of Camden, New Jersey takes on unbeaten Otabek Kholmatov of Uzbekistan. The 12-rounder can be seen live in America on ESPN+ while fans in the UK and Ireland can catch it on Sky Sports Action. Ford last saw action in April when he dropped former world champion Jessie Magdaleno in the fourth and 11th rounds and beat him by a 12-round unanimous decision. Kholmatov last boxed in December when he stopped Balam Hernandez Acosta in the eighth round.
Kholmatov vs Ford Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Raymond Ford +135
- Otabek Kholmatov -165
My Pick
Ford is a 24-year-old southpaw who owns a near-perfect record of 14-0-1 with 7 Ko’s. He turned pro back in 2019 and has 89 rounds of experience to his name. Ford enjoyed a fine amateur career which saw him win the 2018 U.S. National Golden Gloves Championships and take silver at the 2017 and 2018 National championships. Since turning pro he’s beaten every opponent other than Aaron Perez, who went the distance with him in an eight-round draw in 2021.
He won the vacant WBA Continental Featherweight Title in 2021 when he stopped Reece Bellotti in the third round and added the vacant IBF North American Featherweight Belt with a 10-round unanimous decision over Richard Medina in June, 2022. He stands 5-feet-7-inches tall with an unlisted reach and carries decent power in his punches as 50 per cent of his wins have come by knockout.
As for the 25-year-old Kholmatov, he has a perfect mark of 12-0 with 11 Ko’s and obviously possesses quite a bit of power as 91.7 per cent of his wins have been by stoppage. The only time he went the distance was in March, 2023 when he beat Andranik Grigorian by a 12-round unanimous decision. He fights out of Hollywood, Florida and has gone just 47 rounds since turning pro in 2021.
Kholmatov also enjoyed a fine amateur career as he fought at the 2016 AIBA Youth World Championships and took home a bronze medal as a flyweight and competed at the Asian Confederation Youth Championships the same year. He measures 5-feet-7-inches tall, the same as Ford and also has an unlisted reach. Kholmatov’s biggest wins have come against Juan Gabriel Medina, Juan Carlos Pena and Thomas Patrick Ward.
Prediction…
Ford is a solid young pro with excellent skills and decent power while Kholmatov is known as a knockout artist at this stage of his career. Kholmatov can definitely bang but just five of his 12 opponents have entered the ring with a winning record while 10 of Ford’s 15 opponents have had a winning mark. Ford has fought tougher opposition as a pro but he’s going to need a solid chin this weekend. As far as boxing skills go, Ford has the slight edge and as long as he stays on his feet he should do enough to edge out a win. It’s not going to be easy though.
This is a very close call but Ford should prevail due to his boxing skills.
Play: Ford +135 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Otabek Kholmatov betting • Raymond Ford betting