It’s just a few hours until the Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull super middleweight undisputed bout sets the stage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, alight. But that is not the only high-profile world title bout that is part of the event on May 3. The undercard was previously set to feature a WBC cruiserweight title fight between the champion Badou Jack and the mandatory challenger, Ryan Rozicki. Unfortunately for Rozicki, a few days ago, the 30-year-old suffered a torn bicep during training, which forced the Canadian to withdraw from the bout. However, thankfully for Badou Jack, there was an even better contender waiting in the wings, ready to step in and save the title fight. Now, Noel Mikaeljan, the WBC champion in recess, is set to face the Swedish-born boxer for the title he had already won back in 2023.
You see, Jack had decided to move up to bridgerweight in February 2023, right after he won the WBC cruiserweight world title, leaving it empty for Noel Mikaeljan and Ilunga Makabu to fight for. And then, following Jack’s footsteps, Mikaeljan defeated Makabu in November of the same year to become the new WBC champion. However, who knew that the belt would have to be shared amongst two champions? That is precisely what happened when Jack decided to drop back to cruiserweight in December last year, after his attempt to win the WBC bridgerweight title fell through. And guess what? Jack was again the WBC champion at 200 lbs, with Mikaeljan shifting to a “champion in recess” status. With so much instability in the division, finally, there would be two fighters, both of whom earned the belt, fighting to declare who is actually the rightful owner of the status of the WBC champion. Well, let’s compare Jack and Mikaeljan’s records and stats to understand who has the higher chances of winning the bout.
Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaeljan: stats comparison and prediction
According to the stats, it is likely that this 12-round bout would go the distance, and Mikaeljan may win by unanimous decision. Feel like that’s too strong of a statement? Well, let’s see why. Although it’s just a prediction, some facts point towards this outcome. Regarding the record, Badou Jack is in a slight lead at 28-3 compared to Noel Mikaelian’s 27-2. But that is not much of a difference. Also, with Jack’s 17 KOs and Mikaeljan’s 12 KOs, the 41-year-old Jack is at a higher knockout ratio of 61 percent than the latter’s 44 percent.
However, Mikaeljan last won a third-round TKO over Ilunga Makabu, which is something to note. But then, even Badou Jack had won the match against Makabu. And, not to miss the fact that if Jack wants to, he can even go the distance in his bouts, considering he has fought 220 rounds in his entire pro-boxing career, despite fighting just one match more than Mikaeljan, who has fought 197 rounds to date. Jack has also been more adaptive when it comes to making weight since he has moved across divisions swiftly. But, he’s older than Mikaeljan, giving the 34-year-old an advantage when it comes to sharpness at cruiserweight. Now, let’s talk about both fighters’ strengths and weaknesses. Because every boxer has them.
For Jack, counterpunching and going an entire 12 rounds are his biggest strengths in the ring. Similarly, for Noel Mikaelian, his momentum, height, and reach are his plus points. As for weaknesses, Jack will be returning to the ring after an inactivity of 2 years, which significantly puts him in the narrow, when he’s also running out of his prime. Mikaeljan, too, who last fought in November 2023, is also coming back to the sport after more than a year of inactivity. Plus, his losses against Mairis Briedis and Krzysztof Wlodarczyk may raise doubts about his ability to face elite competition.
Let’s also take a look at what the physique of both fighters has to say.
Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaeljan height, weight, reach comparison, and more
When it comes to the height of these boxers, both stand tall, Badou Jack at 6’1” (185 cm) and Norair Mikaeljan at an inch taller at 6’3” (192 cm). Though the difference is negligible, it still boosts Mikaeljan’s reach, which is already longer than Jack’s at 75” (191 cm) as compared to Jack’s 73” (185 cm). Yet, the difference would be unnoticeable, and not likely to be that much of a decisive factor in the bout. Unless, of course, Mikaeljan leverages it strategically, maintaining distance and jabbing effectively. That is what a longer reach aids with—keeping opponents at bay while landing jabs yourself.
So, this could oppose Badou Jack’s counterpunching style, and he may need to focus on closing the gap to neutralize Mikaeljan’s edge. But, due to Mikaeljan’s repeated injuries in the past couple of years, the fight could turn in his opponent’s favor. As already said, the fight will most likely go the 12-round distance, since both Jack and Mikaeljan have moderate KO ratios. It is going to be Badou Jack’s first title defense since he won the belt. And surely makes it a golden opportunity for Mikaeljan to reclaim the champion status.
On paper, Mikaeljan has the edge, but Jack’s experience may prove to be a deciding factor. Whoever wins would have a shot at unifying the division by fighting either Jai Opetia or Gilberto Ramirez next. And then, there’s also the mandatory challenger, Ryan Rozicki, waiting to be back in the show and put the title in his name. Who do you think will win?
The post Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaeljan Stats Comparison and Prediction: Record, Age, Height, Reach, Weight, and Knockout Ratio appeared first on EssentiallySports.
