The current WBA flyweight world champion Artem Dalakian will face Seigo Akui in his seventh title defense match. Will the Ukrainian be able to defend his belt again or will the representative of the host country be crowned champion? Here is our Dalakian vs Akui prediction.
Dalakian vs Akui Prediction: Who's Got a Better Chance?
Artem Dalakian Preview
Artem Dalakian will hold his seventh defense of the championship title. The Baku native won the belt in June 2018 in a fight against Brian Viloria in California, US. Since then, the champion has fought mostly in Ukraine, until his last defense of the belt in London in January 2023.
The champion was inactive for over a year between his 5th defense in November 2021 and the 6th in January 2023, which is understandable with the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
The 36-year-old Dalakian has 22 victories (16 by knockout) and remains undefeated in his professional career.
Seigo Akui Preview
Seigo Akui is the mandatory contender for the fight with Dalakian. The Japanese champion has not lost in five fights in a row since he suffered his second career loss in October 2018. The boxer has not yet met serious opponents in his career and he has never even been close to fighting for a world title. In his last fight in February 2023, he defeated Filipino Jayson Vayson (unanimous decision). This match was his debut against an international opponent. Twenty of his twenty-one pro-fights were against compatriots.
The 28-year-old Akui won 18 victories (11 by knockout) in 21 fights. It is noteworthy that he became a professional at the early age of 19. His debut in the professional ring took place in the Spring of 2014.
Artem Dalakian vs Seigo Akui Odds: Which Are The Best Betting Markets?
Dalakian vs Akui Moneyline Odds
Despite the clear difference in experience, bookmakers do not think that the champion has a huge advantage ahead of this bout. Surpring or not, the odds are nearly identical for both fighters. You can bet on Dalakian to win at -125 while the odds for the contender are -105.
Dalakian vs Akui Odds – Method of Victory
While there is value in betting on the moneyline in this case, we would still consider the method of victory market for a bigger profit. Here are the options:
• Dalakian to win via KO/TKO or DQ: +333
• Dalakian to win via Decision/Technical Decision: +200
• Draw: +1400
• Akui to win via KO/TKO or DQ: +500
• Akui to win via Decision/Technical Decision: +200
Artem Dalakian vs Seigo Akui Prediction: Youth Beats Experience This Time
Bookmakers believe that this will be a competitive match and they give a minimal advantage to the champion. We, however, have a different idea for our Dalakian vs Akui prediction. While it is hard to believe that Akui, without sufficient experience internationally, will be able to fight on equal terms with the champion who has held the belt since 2018.
However, Artem is no longer young by the standards of boxing and he has also been very inactive in recent years. This will be his third bout since his match in February 2020. We believe that if he had fought regularly, he would have lost the belt by now. Akui is incredibly fast and technical and can adapt to tough situations instantly.
Moreover, the match will happen in his home country. If the match is competitive and close and we see a full fight, you can expect the judges to give the nod to the local contender. As sad as it may be, we see it happen way too often even at the highest level of combat sports.
Overall, whether you pick one or the other, it will be a gamble. Dalakian is far more technical and experienced but his age is a huge factor. Akui is still a fairly new name in the international scene but we can confidently say that he is impressively fast and powerful.
• Seigo Akui to win