David Morrell comes into tonight’s light heavyweight fight as the favorite against the 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Imam Khataev at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs) is fighting a guy with power and style viewed as similar to Artur Beterbiev in Khataev (10-0, 9 KOs) in their 10-round fight tonight.
DAZN PPV Fight Info
On paper, Morrell-Khataev is the most entertaining fight on tonight’s Edgar Berlanga vs. 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 fighting, power, and inside fighting ability make him a threat to Morrell if he chooses to trade in a toe-to-toe fight. Imam sits down on his shots more and has superior power to Morrell’s last opponent, David Benavidez. So, it’s not a good idea for the Cuban to shell up against Khataev as he did last February against the ‘Mexican Monster.’
Morrell says he’s learned from his defeat against Benavidez and won’t make the same mistakes as last time by “playing around.” What I think Morrell means is he’s going to fight aggressively from the start, throw combinations, and not play possum by covering up for long stretches.
He didn’t fight the way he needed to win. Morrell can’t do that tonight because he could get knocked out by Khataev. The Russian fighter thrives on guys who cover up for long stretches.
Illness Rumors Impact Morrell?
There have been rumors that Morrell, 27, has been sick all week. He disappeared after weighing in on Friday and wasn’t present for the face-off with Khataev. This made fans question whether he’s going to be able to be 100% on Saturday. Morrell is going up against the wrong type of fighter if he’s battling an illness.
Khataev has shown vulnerability in his fights. His ability to fight hard deep into his fights is questionable; he has slow feet and gives away eight inches in reach to Morrell. Those are significant things that Khataev has going against him, in addition to having slower hand speed.
Khataev took a pounding in his last fight against the veteran Durval Elias Palacio last March, and his face was badly swollen around the eyes and cheeks. He’d been working Palacio over for the first seven rounds, but then gassed out in the eighth. Palacio came on and had him close to being stopped.
My prediction is Morrell by 10-round decision. Khataev has excellent defense, and he’ll be able to handle the heavy shots from Morrell without getting stopped.
Last Updated on 07/12/2025
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