Carlos Buitrago vs Angel Acosta Preview August 26th, 2023
It’s been five years in the making but former WBO Light Flyweight champ Angel Acosta of Puerto Rico will be taking on Carlos Buitrago of Nicaragua in a rematch this Saturday, August 26th. The 10-round flyweight fight from Puerto Rico can be seen live in most nations on DAZN. Acosta last fought in April when he was upset by Angelino Cordova via a 10-round unanimous decision in a shot at the vacant WBO International Flyweight Title. Buitrago last saw action in June when he stopped Nelson Luna in the fourth round to snap a two-fight losing skid. Acosta and Buitrago first met in June, 2018 with Acosta winning by a 12th-round TKO while trailing 109-100 on all three judges’ scorecards to retain his WBO Light Flyweight Title.
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Buitrago vs Acosta Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Carlos Buitrago +275
- Angel Acosta -350
My Pick
The 32-year-old Acosta turned pro back in 2012 and has compiled a pretty good record so far at 23-4 with 22 big Ko’s. He’s obviously known as a big hitter with a current knockout ratio as 95.6 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage. Just one of his wins have gone the distance and that came in 2021 when Gilbero Mendoza went eight rounds with him after he was dropped in the seventh round. Acosta stands 5-feet-4-inches tall with a reach of 63.5 inches.
He has has boxed a total of 134 rounds since turning pro in 2012 following his amateur career. His first pro defeat came at the hands of Kosei Tanaka of Japan in May, 2017 by unanimous decision in a shot at Tanaka’s WBO Light Flyweight Title. Tanaka then vacated the belt and moved up in weight while Acosta took on Juan Alejo Zuniga for the crown and stopped him in the 10th round for the vacant belt.
He then defended the title with a 12th-round TKO over Buitrago, stopped Abraham Rodriguez in the second round four months later and stopped Ganigan Lopez in the eighth round five months after that. He then lost his title to Elwin Soto when he was stopped in the 12th round in June, 2019. Acosta challenged Junto Nakatani in September, 2021 for the WBO Flyweight Belt but was stopped in the fourth round. He’s also beaten Victor Ruiz, Armando Vazquez, Juan Guzman, Luis Ceja, Raymond Tabugon and Japhet Uutoni.
Acosta won the vacant WBO International Flyweight Crown with his fifth-round stoppage of Tabugon in October, 2019 and had previously won the vacant WBC Fecarbox, and WBO Latino Light Flyweight Crowns. He has gone the distance just three times in his 27 pro fights with two of those instances coming in his last four fights. He’s 2-2 in that span with just one stoppage to his name.
As for the 31-year-old Buitrago, he makes the ring walk with a mark of 37-9-1 with 21 Ko’s and has boxed 295 rounds since making his pro debut back in 2008. He measures just under 5-feet-4-inches tall with a 65.5-inch reach which puts him half-an-inch shorter than Acosta but with a two-inch reach advantage. Buitrago has enough power in his arsenal to cause some damage as 57 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage, but is also 2-2 in his last four outings with just one stoppage. Along with being stopped by Acosta in 2018, Buitrago was also halted by Hiroto Kyoguchi in 2017 in eight rounds in a shot at the IBF Minimumweight Title and by Ricardo Sandoval in seven rounds in 2021.
His decision losses came at the hands of Thammanoon Niyomtrong by 12-round unanimous decision in 2014 in a shot at the WBA Interim Minimumweight Belt; They then met in a rematch in 2016 for the same belt with the same result; to McWilliams Arroyo in 2019 by 10-round unanimous decision for the WBO Latino Flyweight Belt; to Elwin Soto by unanimous decision for the WBO Light Flyweight Strap; to Luis Padilla by 10-round unanimous decision and to Juan Carlos Camacho by 10-round unanimous decision in April in an attempt at the vacant NABF Super Flyweight Belt.
The lone draw on Buitrago’s record came in 2013 over 12 rounds with Merlito Serbillo in a shot at the WBO World Minimumweight Title. He started his pro career with a 27-0 mark and has gone 10-9-1 since with his winning streak being halted in 2013 by the draw with Serbillo. He then lost his next fight to Niyomtrong. Along the way, Buitrago has captured the vacant WBO Youth, WBO Latino, NABA, and WBA Fedecentro Minimumweight Titles and has beaten the likes of Gabriel Mendoza, Jose Aguilar, Yader Escobar and Jose Martinez Mercado.
Prediction…
This features the power of Acosta against the experience and guile of Buitrago. Both boxers are in a bit of a slump at the moment and Buitrago typically falls short when fighting top-level opponents. However, he was well ahead on points against Acosta in their first meeting five years ago until getting caught in the 12th and final round. Acosta’s power is the great equalizer and I’m leaning toward him in this intriguing rematch.
Acosta’s power could be the difference in a close contest.
Play: Acosta -350 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Angel Acosta betting • Carlos Buitrago betting