Miguel Cotto vs. Sadam Ali preview: Cotto likely to end career in victory
Miguel Cotto ends his career with a matchup against rising prospect Sadam Ali and is likely to go out on top.
Saturday, Dec. 2, Miguel Cotto ends his hall-of-fame career against prospect Sadam Ali who should prove to be an easy obstacle to overcome.
Miguel Cotto competed during the modern era of boxing but his style and career resemble that of an old-school boxer. Cotto’s career spans nearly 17 years, and he’s compiled a record of 41-5 with 33 KOs.
He started out as a super lightweight and has fought up to middleweight. Cotto will be remembered as a fighter who always took on the top opposition and never feared to take a loss on his record. Cotto’s left hook to the body is legendary.
Sadam Ali is a safe opponent for Cotto. Some may criticize him for selecting Ali for his final fight, but he’s more than earned the right to go out on his own terms. Cotto fought some of the best boxers in history. He challenged Mayweather, Pacquiao and Canelo. He lost these bouts, but fought gallantly. Cotto has more than paid his dues. There’s nothing left for him to prove.
Sadam Ali is a decent challenger but not a champion. He has compiled a record of 25-1, with 14 KOs against moderate opposition. Ali’s one attempt to earn a major title ended in a ninth-round TKO loss against Jessie Vargas in 2016.
Ali has several advantages over Cotto. He’s two inches taller and has a six-inch reach advantage. He’s eight years younger than Cotto. Ali also has faster hands. These are nice advantages to have, but the deck is stacked against him.
While he’s the younger fighter, Ali has a deficit of experience in comparison to Cotto. Ali has boxed a total of 141 professional rounds to Cotto’s 333. Cotto has accrued more losses than Ali, but his opposition level is superior.
Ali’s hands are fast, but he has slightly above average power for a welterweight. This is his first bout as a super welterweight. His power will be more diluted. This is troubling for Ali because Cotto is a power-puncher. He has 33 knockouts to Ali’s 14.
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Ali will take the center of the ring and will try to use his reach to his advantage. He likes to fight from a distance. Ali can find success if he can keep Cotto at the end of his punches. That’s a tough task.
Cotto is capable of boxing, but he will play the role of the aggressor against Ali. He needs to pressure Ali in this fight. He will walk through Ali’s punches and will target the body. Ali may keep Cotto at bay for the first few rounds, but Cotto’s pressure and power will break Ali down the longer the fight goes.
Ali lacks experience in terms of championship bouts. His endurance hasn’t been tested, and he lacks the ability to fight at close quarters. Cotto wins this fight by TKO in eight.