WBSS Cruiserweight Semifinals on Murat Gassiev vs Yunis Dorticos

IBF World Champion Murat Gassiev (25-0, 18 KOs) and WBA World Champion Yunier Dorticos (22-0, 21 KOs) will fight in Ali Trophy semi-final at the Bolshoy Ice Domi in Sochi. Our prediction stands with Gassiev to beat Dorticos in semifinal, and here is why.

One of the highest tournaments in the world the ‘Muhammad Ali Trophy’ will be brought to Sochi on February 03. Two decorated boxers with massive KO power will collide for a place in the final against the winner of the January 27 semi-final between Oleksandr Usyk and Mairis Briedis. The 24-year-old Murat ‘Iron’ Gassiev, the Russian second seed, will take on the Cuban Dorticos ‘The KO Doctor’ near his home region of Ossetia and among his family and friends. Online sportsbooks in Russia expect the upcoming challenge to be a dogfight, but eventually it will be the countryman Gassiev to beat Dorticos in semifinal.

The Young Gassiev to beat Dorticos in semifinal

Murat Gassiev is the youngest member of the cruiserweight field. He has scored the knockout in nine of his last ten wins, with only Denis Lebedev surviving the distance. Thus Lebedev was the one who granted by his loss the 200-pound title for Gassiev one year ago.

Gassiev, who shares the trainer Abel Sanchez with unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady Golovkin, has proven to be qualified for the WBSS Cruiserweight Title run after blowing away Polish Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in New Jersey in October with a powerful performance in just three rounds. Although Wlodarczyk has massive experience advantage, Gassiev with his brutal left hand to the body was able to take Wlodarczyk’s breath away and produce a knockout.

Dorticos chances against Gassiev

The 31-year-old Yunier Dorticos is a very good dangerous fighter. He advanced to the semifinals after a sensational second-round knockout of “The Russian Hammer” Dmitry Kudryashov in San Antonio in September. He had a considerably easier time than expected with Dmitry Kudryashov, showing that he can be a powerful opponent to Gassiev.

(source: YouTube)

Despite that online sportsbooks in Russia expect Gassiev to perform better in the next bout. According to Vbet Sportsbook the odds for Murat Gassiev stand at 1.58, while the odds for Dorticos are 2.24.

The winner will travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in May 2018 for the cruiserweight final of the World Boxing Super. At Vbet Sportsbook you can also bet on the outright winner until February 03. Usyk to have the best odds that stand at 1.44 for the next WBSS Championship, Gassiev comes on the second place with odds at 5.50, while Dorticos has the least odds with 9.00. Would it be Usyk v Gassiev in the final in Jeddah? Let us wait and see.