Vasiliy Lomanchenko Expected to Handle Nakatani Easily

Vasiliy Lomachenko is stepping back into the ring on Friday to try to start his path to regaining his WBA, WBO and IBF belts.

The last time Lomachenko was in the ring, he lost to Teofimo Lopez by unanimous decision. Lomachenko’s loss was his first since 2014 and ended his 13-fight win streak. 

Lomachenko is starting his quest to regain his belts against Masayoshi Nakatani, who also lost to Lopez. Nakatani enters the fight with a 19-1 record while Lomachenko is 14-2. 

Lomachenko is the overwhelming favorite against Nakatani, as WynnBET has set Lomachenko’s odds to win at -1500, and Nakatani has his odds at +800. Even at 33, Lomachenko is faster and quicker than most boxers in the lightweight division.

This bout is shaping up to be a tuneup fight for Lomachenko. Although Nakatani could pose a threat on paper since he has a longer reach and is a year younger, Lomachenko should handle him easily. His speed and power, despite being a lightweight, is what had him at the top of the division.  His main goal is to get back into a position to get his belts back.

Along with being the favorite to win, Lomachenko is also expected to finish the fight early. The odds the fight ends inside the distance set at -120, while the odds it goes to the judges scorecards is -110. The prop bet for rounds is set at 10.5, with the over (-130) as a favorite against the under (+100).

When it comes to pound-for-pound rankings, Lomachenko is near the top. He is in the top ten in most rankings, and with a dominant outcome on the horizon, he should see that rise.