Two exciting cruiserweight contenders will be fighting on the undercard of the Diego Pacheco vs. Maciej Sulecki main event on August 31 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on DAZN. Cheavon Clarke will be taking on Efetobor Apochi in a 10-round fight at the 200-pound weight limit. The British boxer will be making his US debut with his Efetobor Apochi fight. “I’ve followed Chev’s progress for a number of years now and he is a brilliant talent with a powerful personality and story that will make him hugely popular among fight fans,” Eddie Hearn said about his promising charge Cheavon.

The 33-year-old fighter signed a long-term promotional deal with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. Having quit the sport following a setback at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he was driving lorries for his father’s company, delivering DIY and home improvement supplies. Although he was earning good money working for his father’s company, his friends encouraged him to get back to the sport as they thought he was wasting his athletic potential. Thus, his road to redemption started as he walked back to his boxing gym in December 2015. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how he fares against Nigerian-born Efetobor Apochi. Before they do, let us compare both boxers’ records and physical attributes to narrow down our predictions.

Cheavon Clarke vs. Efetobor Apochi: Who looks good on paper?

A quick look at the professional boxing records of both pugilists will showcase certain discernable facts about their careers. Clarke definitely has lesser defeats in his short professional career which commenced in 2022. The undefeated boxer has already won a couple of regional titles which include the IBF International cruiserweight title, and the British cruiserweight title defeating Vasil Ducar and Ellis Zorro respectively. In fact, his last fight was against Zorro for the British cruiserweight championship. Clarke’s boxing record stands at 9 wins, zero losses, and 0 draws.

Meanwhile, ‘The Nigerian Pit Bull’ has not won any regional or world titles in his professional career. Debuting in 2017, he has fourteen fights under his belt in his pro boxing record. He suffered back-to-back defeats against Brandon Glanton and Adrian Taylor, respectively. Notably, after his losses, Apochi took a one-year hiatus before entering the ring this year against Lucas Pontes DaSilva and securing a technical knockout win over his opponent. Clarke will be Apochi’s second opponent this year. The 36-year-old Nigerian fighter’s record stands at 12 wins, 2 losses and 0 draws,

On the other hand, Clarke also had an illustrious amateur career, having progressed to the round of 16 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and having participated in the 2014, and 2018 Commonwealth Games, and winning a bronze medal at the latter. Apochi also had a decent enough amateur career, participating in various international competitions. The most notable win in the amateur circuit for Apochi was the bronze medal he secured at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

However, the boxing records won’t tell the whole tale. It is also important that we delve into the physical attributes to get a more complete analysis of the fighters.

Who is more physically imposing?

Cheavon Clarke is the younger fighter by 3 years when compared to the 36-year-old Apochi. Clarke is also the less experienced professional fighter, having had 5 fewer fights than the Nigerian native. Moreover, he has fought 4 fewer professional rounds, amounting to 48 compared to Apochi’s 52.

Standing at 5′ 11½, Clarke is taller by half an inch than Apochi, who is 5′ 11″. Efetobor Apochi’s reach is 75½, but the British fighter’s reach isn’t listed. Meanwhile, the Nigerian fighter has a massive power advantage, with a 100% KO ratio. Comparatively, Clarke has a decent KO percentage of 78, defeating seven of his nine opponents by knockouts. In terms of weight, both fighters have fought most of their bouts at cruiserweight. Therefore, weight won’t be an issue in this fight for both pugilists.

Safe to say, Clarke has to be very wary of ‘The Nigerian Pitbull’s’ power. Having thrived on big occasions, and being undefeated, the record shows that Clarke might just have the edge over Apochi who has been going through a rough patch if his recent performances are to be considered.

Who do you have winning the fight? Cheavon Clarke or Efetobor Apochi? Let us know in the comment section below.