On 6 April, former Olympian and rising featherweight star Skye Nicolson will take on Denmark’s Sarah Mahfoud for the vacant WBC featherweight title. Nicolson already holds the interim version of the belt, but she will be looking to upgrade it to the full version in the new Fontainebleau in the north-end of the Las Vegas Strip. 

The duo will feature in the undercard of Richardson Hitchins vs. Gustavo Daniel Lemos set to air exclusively on DAZN Boxing. Both female boxers boast an impressive record, albeit not that extensive. So, before the fighters get in the ring on Saturday night, here’s a detailed comparison between the fighters to determine who will get their hand raised after the final bell!

Skye Nicolson vs. Sarah Mahfoud: Who’s got the better resume?

Since both fighters are relatively new, it can be challenging to determine which fighting style would prevail over the other. However, that can be easily solved by looking at the resumes from both fighters. On the one hand, Nicolson has fought in nine bouts following an impressive amateur career in the Olympics and managed to stay undefeated in her professional career. The Australian southpaw is coming off a ninth round stoppage victory over Lucy Wildheart in December last year, a fight that earned her the interim title.

Moreover, other notable fights Nicolson found herself in were against Sabrina Maribel Perez, who held a 18-1-1 record when she fought Nicolson. Nicolson also took on the then undefeated Tania Alvarez, producing a unanimous decision win. In the meantime, Mahfoud with 14-1 professional record, has already suffered her first career loss, but the loss came at the hands of the best featherweight in the game, Amanda Serrano. 

Also Read: “It’s Never Because I Disrespect Her”: Soon After Latest Defense, Skye Nicolson Eyes Amanda Serrano for Her Undisputed Crown

Since the defeat, Mahfoud is on a three fight win streak, having won the WBC Silver Featherweight title in the process. So, from a purely professional experience standpoint, Mahfoud should be able to dominate Nicolson. However, considering Nicolson’s impressive amateur career with an unbelievable 107-32 record compared to Mahfoud’s 9-1, the fight can go either way. 

Who’s winning in terms of attributes?

When it comes to a boxing match, the attributes possessed by the fighters may play a vital role in dictating how the fight may go! The best example would be the latest Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora fight. Despite Tszyu’s undefeated record, Fundora managed to take home the win. 

Starting with Nicolson, the 28-year-old boxer is 166 cm tall and has a reach of 174 cm. Conversely, her opponent, Mahfoud 34, is 163 cm tall, but details about her reach aren’t available. And the same goes for details about their exact weight, which will be revealed during their final weigh-ins. So, the attributes of both fighters couldn’t really produce a conclusive prediction for the fight. However, the same cannot be said about their knockout ratios!

Who’s got more knockouts?

When it comes to determining who is more powerful, nothing speaks louder than a fighter’s knockout ratio. And boy, do the numbers from these two fighters paint an interesting picture of what’s to come. While Nicolson is clearly more experienced, she fails to tower over Mahfoud’s knockout ratio. 

Nicolson holds an 11.11% KO ratio from her sole stoppage win over last opponent Lucy Wildheart. Meanwhile, Mahfoud boasts a 21.43% KO ratio from three knockouts in her professional record. Now, some could make the argument that Mahfoud has been in more fights, so she has a better KO ratio. 

Also Read: “This Is What Peak Performance Looks Like”: Skye Nicolson Gets Fans All Hyped Up With “Shredded” Physique Ahead of Next Fight on Chantelle Cameron vs. Katie Taylor II Undercard

Looking at their amateur careers may produce a clear winner in terms of KO ratio. However, even in their amateur records, Mahfoud seems to be the winner. Nicolson has a 3.74% KO ratio compared to Mahfoud’s 11.11%. So, clearly Mahfoud has a better chance of statistically finishing the fight before the final round. 

Skye Nicolson vs. Sarah Mahfoud: Final predictions

Despite Mahfoud’s dominance on paper, the in-ring fight may look very different, especially considering Nicolson’s amateur experience. While Mahfoud did put up a good fight against Serrano in their past bout, Serrano didn’t seem to be worried about Mahfoud’s attack. Meanwhile, Nicolson is quick on her feet, and considering her last fight where she brutalized her opponent, the Australian may try to do the same to Mahfoud. 

So, more and more Nicolson seems like the possible winner in Saturday night’s fight. The same is further evidenced by Nicolson being a southpaw and Mahfoud an orthodox, which orthodox fighters are known to struggle with. For Mahfoud to win, she will have to put Nicolson in an uncomfortable position. She will have to cut off Nicolson constantly while maintaining pressure. 

Despite all the predictions and stats, boxing is a wild game where things can change in the blink of an eye. So, only time can tell what would happen when the two fighters meet in the ring. However, we would like to get your predictions for the fight. Let us know in the comments below!

Read More: “She Knows I’ve the Style to Beat Her”: Skye Nicolson Insinuates 12 3-Minute Round Retaliation Is an Excuse for Amanda Serrano to Duck Her