A battle between two top-10 ranked fighters in the light heavyweight division has Badou “The Ripper” Jack taking on Marcus “Ser” Browne for the vacant WBA interim light heavyweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Nevada. Browne is laying his undefeated 22-0 record on the line and is a +150 underdog, while Jack is coming back at -185 and is back in action for the first time since his majority draw with Adonis Stevenson for the WBC and lineal light heavyweight titles in May of 2018.
Odds Analysis
This is a major step up in competition for Ser and the odds reflect this as he has been a heavy favorite in his last five fights with his lowest odds being -155 when he fought Thomas Williams Jr., a fight he won via sixth-round knockout. However, Browne shouldn’t be overlooked with Jack only slightly favored and with the lowest favorite odds he has had in his last five fights, including two bouts in which he was an underdog.
The Ripper has been to the top before, though, being a former WBA light heavyweight champion and the former WBC super middleweight champ. Jack has the more familiar name so I expect more money to come in on him but where the odds are now I think is appropriate.
Badou Jack vs Marcus Browne
Jack (-185) is a patient fighter who has great footwork and good counter-strikes that he throws in flurries. The Sweden native typically walks forward with a high guard looking to get into punching range and has a good ability to make his opponent miss while following up with a lunging right hand of his own.
The Ripper possesses knockout power but has just one T/KO victory to his name in his last six fights, though 13 of 22 professional wins have come in this manner. His only defeat was a first-round TKO to Derek Edwards in February 2014. Since then, he is 6-0-2 and his majority draw vs Adonis Stevenson last May probably should have been a victory, but we know how judges are.
Browne (+150) had his streak of three straight knockout victories snapped in his last fight when he went the full 10 rounds with Lenin Castillo en route to a unanimous decision win. The southpaw is an aggressive fighter who is constantly backing his opponent down while touching them with a pawing jab looking to land his powerful left hand. The 27-year-old’s undefeated 22-0 record has come with 16 knockout victories and five of his last seven bouts have finished in that manner.
Ser also likes to work the body early and often, putting money in the bank that he can cash in on later in the fight. This may be an important factor for him as this is the first time that he is involved in a 12-round bout. That being said, Browne still had good movement and pop on his punches in the later rounds vs Castillo, but his output did trail in the eighth and ninth before picking back up in the 10th.
How will this fight play out?
This is a good jump in competition for Marcus Browne getting to fight a former champion and on a fairly big card headlined by Manny Pacquiao and Adrian Broner. Badou Jack will definitely have the experience and typically picks up the pace as the fight progresses and I expect him to have this approach against the lesser experienced Browne. The Ripper will have to steer clear of that straight left from Ser, though, as it comes with a lot of pop and could be a fight changer. Look for Jack to really put Browne on his heels in the later rounds. It’ll be interesting to see how he reacts to forward pressure.
Prediction: Badou Jack (-185) via decision
| Boxer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Badou Jack | -185 |
| Marcus Browne | +150 |
Odds as of January 18 at Sportsbook
