Maidana will ruin Bradley

We see Maidan type fighters all the time coming out os South America. A fighter that is seen as a guy with a huge punch, has a run of 20+ knockouts. Then they step up to the next level and people say damn what happened to his power. It takes more then power to beat elite level fighters. You have to do something that alot of times fighters like Maidana isnt use to doing that is find a way to land those big shots while taking big shots from a fighter that isnt that easy to hit. It come a point when fighters like Maidana faces a guy that isnt easy to hit and doesnt fold up once they have been hit. Once that happens the question is what does that do to his confidence?

I expect Bradley to dominate Maidana, and stop him in the mid to late rounds. Bradley has faced alot of power punching fighters not just holt, the only time he had any trouble was with the sneaky counter shots of Holt. Maidana isnt a counter puncher and will walk to Bradley throwing those wide looping shots and he will get distroyed.

 

Ortiz could have won that fight still and done so easy. Ortiz folded. Bradley isnt going to fold. In the Ortiz fight I didnt see any freaky power from Maidana, and Bradley isnt going to fold. It was the same thing that I felt when everyone was talking about Shane vs Margo. margo isnt a big puncher but he would make fighters fold. From the few fights of Maidana's that I have seen its the same thing. And much like Margo when ever a fighter didnt or doesnt fold they beat him.

 

Ortiz fought a dumb fight trying to impress his fans instead of boxing Maidana which he was having great success at. Maidana's power IMO is somewhat overrated he stops a prospect in Cayo and stops a guy under bizzare circumstances. When he stops an elite fighter at 140 I'll be impressed until then he's another Torres.

 

Maidana throws wide looping shots that Bradley can easily see and either block or take. Holt caught Bradley with shots he didn't see coming. Not to mention that shot that he caught Bradley with in the second round probably would have stopped most fighters at 140 it was a wicked shot. That's exactly why fighters like Holt will give Bradly more problems than Maidana he will see Maidana's shots and can counter them and take them vs Holt who gives him more problems because of his speed and straighter punches.

 

Bradley's only got functional power at the world level. It's enough that opponents have to respect it, but there's a reason he's got a sub 50% knockout ratio and hasn't stopped anyone in 3 years since he's stepped up in class. He doesn't carry the power of Ortiz or Alexander. He does have a speed and skill advantage, though, and that's the difference for me. Bradley's got to be wary of how much he trades with Maidana and Maidana's also going to be the bigger fighter, which is a key for him.

Still, I agree with you that the most likely case is that Maidana will need a knockout to win. At this point my official pick is Bradley on points.

 

Bradley is gonna make Maidana look slow and stupid

 

Don't get me wrong Maidana is still dangerous but I think Bradley is just all wrong for him and will win by UD.

 

That's a huge reason I'm looking forward to the fight...Bradley can definitely box, but likes to put on a show for the fans, too. He's got to be sure to engage on his own terms when he does that against Maidana because the last thing Bradley wants is to linger too long and let Marcos begin to negate his speed advantage by working the body, which is most likely going to be a big focal point for Maidana.

What I don't foresee is Bradley stopping him. He just doesn't hit hard enough and it's not in his interest to turn the fight into a slugfest when there's a clear blueprint to win on points there for him- if Tim manages to pull off a stoppage win in the course of that, he'd get alot of props in my book. Being the smaller fighter and having a skill and speed advantage, I foresee Bradley picking his shots and utilizing the straighter punches to pick up the points win. I believe he's got the discipline to fight 12 solid rounds executing that gameplan.

I can't completely rule out Maidana for the reasons I've mentioned, though. He's certainly a live underdog in my view.

 

Holt damn near tore David Diaz' face off. Maidana may have a little better power, but not dramatically so. The difference in the KO ratio is because at the higher levels, if Maidana doesn't knock you out, he doesn't win. He's looking for a KO every second of every round and he will push to make it happen. Holt will wait for his chances, and if they don't come he's more than happy to just box his way to a decision. Different styles.