Miguel Marriaga vs Mark John Yap Preview July 16th
Miguel Marriaga of Colombia is scheduled to take on Mark John Yap of the Philippines at the Bubble in Las Vegas this Thursday, July 16th. The 10-round featherweight bout can be seen on ESPN and ESPN Deportes in the USA and on TSN in Canada. Marriaga last fought in December when he stopped Alfredo Vargas in the sixth round. Yap fought in November and dropped a six-round unanimous decision to Angel Alejandro.
Marriaga vs Yap Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Mark John Yap +1000
- Miguel Marriaga -3300
My Pick
The 33-year-old Marriaga has an impressive record of 29-3 with 25 Kos. His defeats have been to o then-WBA Featherweight Champ Nicholas Walters by unanimous decision in June of 2015 as well as to Oscar Valdez via unanimous decision for the WBO Featherweight Title in 2017 and was then stopped after seven rounds by Vasyl Lomachenko for the WBO Super Featherweight Crown also in 2017.
Marriaga stands 5-feet-8-inches tall with a 67-inch reach He has 162 rounds under his belt since turning pro in 2009 and has better-than-average power in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 78.1 percent. He’s won four straight bouts since losing to Lomachenko with all four of them coming by stoppage. Marriaga likes to initiate the action in the ring while moving forward by throwing power shots to the head and body.
He doesn’t use his jab all that well and that could cost him here. His power means he’s never really out of a fight though. However, when he’s fought upper-class opponents such as Walters, Valdez and Lomachenko for world titles he’s fallen short. Since turning pro he’s won a couple of minor titles though such as the WBC Continental Americas, and the WBO NABO Featherweight Titles.
Yap is 31 years old and is definitely the underdog as he enters the ring with a mark of 30-15-0 with 15 Kos to his name. He made his pro debut in 2007 as a teenager and has boxed 322 rounds since. He stands 5-feet-6-inches tall with a 70-inch reach so gives up two inches in height to Marriaga but has a three-inch reach advantage. Yap’s power isn’t anything to write home about as his current knockout ratio stands at 33.3 per cent.
He does have a decent chin though as he’s been stopped just twice in 45 fights. He’s lost two contests in a row though and three of his last four. Since turning pro he’s captured the OPBF Bantamweight Title and has fought mainly in Asia. However, his last two fights took place in Las Vegas. He hasn’t beaten any contenders with his biggest wins being against Ulysses Lagos, Kentaro Masuda, Horoyuki Kudaka and Tatsuya Ikemizu.
Prediction…
This should be a relative mismatch but Yap has some skills and a solid chin, which he might need since Marriaga can bang. Yap might give Marriaga a workout but Marriaga’s expected to win as he seeks one more world title shot.
A tune-up for Marriaga.
Play Marriaga -660@ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Mark John Yap betting • Miguel Marriaga betting