Santillan vs Norman Jr Prediction: Whose Unbeaten Run Meets Its Demise?

Giovani Santillan's opponent for the co-main event on the May 18th Emanuel Navarrete vs Denis Berinchyk lightweight title fight is finally set. He'll be facing another undefeated rising star, Brian Norman Jr.  Who will win the battle and walk away with the WBO interim welterweight belt? Here’s our Santillan vs Norman Jr prediction.

Santillan vs Norman Jr Prediction: Title Dreams to Come True?

Giovani Santillan Preview

Giovani Santillan boasts an undefeated record of 32-0, with 17 victories coming by way of knockout. Since turning professional in 2012, he's racked up 166 rounds of experience, building on a successful amateur career that included a National Silver Gloves Final appearance in 2005.

Standing at 5ft 8in with a 68.5in reach, Santillan will be at a 3.5-inch reach disadvantage against Norman Jr. However, his punching power shouldn't be underestimated. While his current knockout ratio sits at a respectable 53.1 percent, he's also demonstrated impressive stamina, going the distance in five of his last seven fights. 

Santillan's power was on full display in his last fight against Alexis Rocha, where he ruthlessly dropped him three times before securing the victory. 

Those who have watched Santillan demolish Rocha might feel prompted to back the San Diego man in their Giovanni Santillan vs Brian Norman Jr prediction picks. Before making any swift decision, however, let's see what his opponent brings to the fight. 

Brian Norman Jr. Preview

Like his next nemesis in the ring, Norman Jr. also flaunts an unblemished record. The 23-year-old is yet to taste defeat as he prepares to lace up his gloves for his 26th fight. He is a fierce puncher, which is a simple deduction to make, considering he knocked out his opponents on 19 occasions. That's a whopping 76 percent KO rate! 

Despite the 25-0 record, it can't be denied that Norman Jr. is still on a development path. None of the first 12 fighters he beat had won a fight before. In fact, only nine out of the 25 opponents he has faced so far had tasted wins before their fight with Norman Jr. 

While his past victories over Carlos Ramirez, Flavio Rodriguez, Juan Rodriguez Jr., Benjamin Whitaker, Rodrigo Coria, Jesus Campos, and Quinton Randall are impressive, this weekend's clash with Santillan in the Navarrete vs Berinchyk co-event will undoubtedly be his toughest challenge yet. 

Can he ace the biggest test of his career to date? Let's get to our Santillan vs Norman Jr prediction and find out.

Giovani Santillan vs Brian Norman Jr Prediction: Too Big of a Step Up for Norman Jr 

Our official Santillan vs Norman Jr prediction is a win for Giovani Santillan.

Brian Norman Jr has a monumental task at his hand. Yes, he has barely done anything wrong in his previous fights, but we can't overlook the significant level-up he will be dealing with this weekend.

There is room for optimism, however. Norman Jr. is not the biggest fighter you would see, but he still has a reach advantage over Santillan, as we previously mentioned. This could hand him an edge if he manages to time his strikes right and keep Santillan on his toes. Not to mention, he is ten years younger, so he should bring more stamina and energy into the ring.

Betting odds reflect this fact. Santillan is at -500 to win the fight. So, backing him won't bring in much profit, but your investment should be safe. Norman Jr. is the +350 underdog. You can go for the latter if you feel lucky, but we should remind you that it'd be a pretty bold move.