And they meet again. The last time they met, Jaron Ennis left the arena with a win over Karen Chukhadzhian, but it also posed some questions and pointed out some areas of growth. Almost two years have passed since then, and two boxers have reinvented themselves and made some upgrades. Will it finally be the time that the American fighter showcases how far has come? Or will the challenger finally make a dent and do something that he failed to do the last time?

Ennis and Chukhadzhian will fight it out for the IBF welterweight crown at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, on November 9. It presents a perfect opportunity for both fighters to finish what they started in their first encounter and showcase to fans how far they have come. This is a stylistic matchup, and the fans are in for a treat. Before that happens, let’s have a look at how the two boxers stack up.

Jaron Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian: Tale of Tape

Ennis, 27, has swept the fans and opponents with his aggressive and versatile fighting style, which has ensured he stays at the top of the 147-pound division’s hierarchy. The Philadelphia native has blasted every foe who has stood across from him in the ring, and his unblemished record of 32-0 with 29 KOs is a testament to it. What has made him an unstoppable force of nature is his power-punching with slick movement, as suggested by his mind-boggling KO ratio of 90.63%. It’s among the best across the divisions, and along with his boxing IQ, it’s no wonder he has had a splendid rise.

What’s more? The IBF champion knows how to utilize his dimensions, as he stands tall at 5’10” (178 cm) and utilizes his stature to employ jabs and control distance from competitors. His reach of 74″ (188 cm) allows him to maintain his quick movement, which keeps him out of his rivals’ hitting arc. He then unloads his heavy punches, which seal the deal for him. But Chukhadzhian has been in that territory before.

Chukhadzhian, 28, is the older of the two but has fewer fights under his belts compared to Ennis. Unlike the champion, he is a defensively-minded fighter who prefers to avoid exchanges and land shots of his own. His defensive guard has proved difficult to tear down, as he has only mustered a single loss on his resume. You guessed it right; it came against Ennis. But since then, the Ukrainian fighter has kept himself active, even collecting two KO wins and an overall 3-win streak. It has ballooned his record to 24-2 with 13 KOs. While Chukhadzhian might not be as powerful or have a penchant for knockout, he packs power behind his punches, as hinted by his KO ratio of 54.17%.

In addition, the Kyiv native isn’t too far off in size advantage with his 5’9½” (176 cm) height. Instead, he carries the weight advantage, as he registered a weight of 147.0 lbs (66.7 kg) when he stood on the scales last time, compared to Ennis’ 145.5 lbs (66.0 kg). So, it raises an interesting question. Does he have enough to bag a win this time and take the title home?

Prediction: Who wins it?

It seems unlikely that one could enter Philadelphia and snatch the title away from ‘Boots’. After all, he is fighting before his home crowd and intends to put up on a show for them. But Chukhadzhian has already pushed Ennis to the limit. The only task left now is to push him to the ropes. He could focus on counter-attacking when Ennis leaves himself open while coming forward and launching attacks. He needs to keep his lateral movement through the 12 rounds and not let Ennis get into the rhythm and offload punches. It will allow him to stay out of his punches too and, in return, respond with volume-punching.

But it might not work out well for the challenger. Ennis is skilled at switch-hitting, as he can attack in both stances. All he needs to do is cut the ring effectively and not allow Chukhadzhian to slip away, unlike the first fight. The welterweight champion needs to break down Chukhadzhian with bodywork and pick his powerful shots carefully, and if he implements these changes, you can see him defending his title. Even if he doesn’t do it all, he remains the favorite to go 2-0 up on Chukhadzhian.

What do you make of this coming fight between Jaron Ennis and Karen Chukhadzhian? Who do you think will leave the arena with the gold? Let us know in the comments below.