Edinburgh’s Lee McGregor awaits an impending battle as he prepares to dance with Lancaster’s Isaac Lowe on December 21st on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury rematch. A proposed fight between the pair was supposed to go down last December, but McGregor injured his hand. Since then, he has been looking to get the fight going to make up for last time.

McGregor was once seen as the brightest hope for British boxing—as he became the fastest fighter to ever collect the British, Commonwealth, and European titles. But an extremely close fight against Kash Farooq and then his loss to Erik Robles Ayala dashed all the potential. But he now has the opportunity to propel himself among the best in the upcoming fight—but can he do it?

Isaac Lowe vs. Lee McGregor: A fight on paper

Before the fight begins, the records of the fighters often tell a compelling story about how the bout might unfold. For Lowe (25-2-3, 8 KOs), his professional experience gives him an edge. However, McGregor (14-1-1) brings a strong amateur pedigree, putting him on equal footing with Lowe in many respects.

Both fighters boast impressive achievements, having captured International, European, and BBBofC titles. Yet, McGregor has done so in a more rapid ascent. Starting his professional career in his hometown, McGregor notched five consecutive knockout victories. However, cracks in his armor began to show during a 2019 bout against Kash Farooq.

Though McGregor eked out a narrow split-decision win in that fight, his momentum stalled three years later with a draw against Diego Alberto Ruiz. The following year brought an even greater setback when he suffered a 12-round loss to Erik Robles Ayala in a contest for the vacant IBO super bantamweight title.

Since then, McGregor has rebounded impressively with two knockout wins, but facing Lowe represents the toughest test of his career to date. Lowe, on the other hand, has experienced a turbulent journey since beginning his professional boxing career in Blackpool. He started strong, winning his first eleven fights with relative ease before recording his first split-decision draw in 2015 against Ryan Doyle.

Two years later, another draw was added to his record, this time due to an accidental headbutt that caused a cut on his opponent Dennis Ceylan’s face. But Lowe’s streak of draws didn’t end there—he faced Ryan Walsh the following year in a fight that also concluded with a split-decision draw.

Despite these setbacks, Lowe managed to string together a seven-fight win streak before suffering back-to-back losses against Luis Alberto Lopez and Nick Ball. Since those defeats, Lowe has rebounded with four consecutive victories, the most recent of which came on the undercard of Usyk vs. Fury in May. Now, the upcoming bout against McGregor marks a crucial moment for Lowe as he seeks to continue his upward ascent.

Given the work both men have put in, this fight is shaping up to be a closely contested affair. However, Lowe has a tendency to falter against stronger opposition, which gives McGregor a slight edge. Moreover, Lowe’s two career losses have both come via knockout, and with McGregor’s impressive 78.57% knockout ratio, a stoppage win for McGregor seems plausible. On the other hand, a knockout victory for Lowe appears unlikely, given his modest 32% knockout ratio.

Who do the numbers favor?

Age, height, reach, and weight might not seem like decisive factors when predicting a fight’s outcome, but these attributes can often influence the dynamics of a bout significantly. At 30 years old, Lowe is still in his prime, as is the 27-year-old McGregor, putting them on relatively equal footing in terms of age.

In terms of height, Lowe stands at 5′ 7″ (170 cm), while McGregor measures slightly taller at 5′ 7½″ (172 cm). This marginal height difference is unlikely to play a significant role in the fight. Unfortunately, reach details for both fighters remain unavailable, leaving one key physical attribute unaccounted for.

When it comes to weight, the final numbers will only be confirmed during the official weigh-ins. However, insights from their previous bouts provide a glimpse into what we might expect. Lowe has weighed in at 125½, 127¼, and 127¼ pounds in his recent fights, showing he’s comfortable coming in a pound or two over the limit, not to mention the additional weight he might gain through rehydration post-weigh-in.

McGregor, on the other hand, has competed across the super bantamweight to super lightweight divisions in his last three fights, with weigh-ins at 122, 132, and even 138 pounds. His weight fluctuations suggest he’s accustomed to adjusting to different divisions, though his loss to Ayala at 122 pounds indicates he may struggle when cutting too much weight.

Considering these attributes, they should not give them an edge over each other, but keep an eye out for the final weigh-ins to get the full picture.

That being said, the upcoming bout is shaping up to be a significant moment for both Isaac Lowe and Lee McGregor. A win here can push them closer to becoming a big name not only in their divisions but also in the sport. Who do you think will win?