It was less than a year ago that Vasyl Lomachenko was the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. However, with one decision loss, his belts are gone and he has plummeted to No. 9 on that very same list. He returns to the ring Saturday in a non-title main event against Masayoshi Nakatani.
The two men will meet at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada. Looking at Lomachenko vs Nakatani odds, it is the former pound-for-pound king who is heavily favored to return to the win column.
Online sportsbook [Sportsbook not available for your region] has released the Lomachenko vs Nakatani odds with Vasyl listed as the -1600 favorite and Masayoshi the +800 underdog. This means you would have to wager $1,600 to profit $100 with a Loma win, while a $100 bet on a Nakatani victory would profit you $800.
Vasyl Lomachenko vs Masayoshi Nakatani Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Vasyl Lomachenko | -1600 |
| Masayoshi Nakatani | +800 |
Odds as of June 25 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
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According to our sports betting calculator, the Lomachenko vs Nakatani odds suggest that the former champ’s odds of -1600 represent an implied win probability of 94.12 percent while Masayoshi’s odds of +800 have an implied win probability of 11.11 percent.
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Lomachenko vs Nakatani Odds Analysis
Lomachenko was considered the best boxer in the world prior to his loss to Teofimo Lopez in October and with such high praise came short odds. Loma was the four-figure chalk in four of his last five fights with only the Lopez bout having longer odds – the champ was only a -400 favorite. While a $100 bet on a Loma win with odds of -1600 would only yield a profit of $6.25, you can find better value in round betting or method of victory.
Nakatani familiar with being the underdog
Nakatani’s first 18 professional bouts, each of which he won, took place in his home country of Japan and odds weren’t available. However, in his three matches in the U.S., including this Lomachenko fight, he has been the betting underdog and was a massive +1200 dog in his decision loss to Teofimo Lopez in 2019.
Lomachenko vs Nakatani Preview & Prediction
Although Loma was at the top of the heap for a while, he didn’t have a perfect record so entering a fight following a loss isn’t something foreign to him. He dropped his second pro fight – his first world title shot – via a controversial split decision. This is just his second pro bout in which a world title isn’t on the line.
Loma has outstanding footwork, thanks in large part to taking traditional Ukrainian dance as a child. He dances around his foes, often landing a strike and moving in such a way that he ends up to the side of his counterparts when they go to throw back. He’s incredibly fast and wears on his opponents as they swing at air, get exhausted and then he goes on the attack.
Nakatani needs to use his length
Nakatani made his U.S. debut against Teofimo Lopez and was the first man to go the full 12 rounds with the now-champ. The only other man to go 12 rounds with Lopez is the man standing across from Masayoshi on Saturday, Vasyl Lomachenko.
The Japan product is huge for the lightweight division, towering at five-foot-11.5 and has a reach of 71 inches, which is 5.5 inches longer than Loma’s. At times, fighters with long reach get a little excited to show it off and can actually overextend and get caught off balance and in a vulnerable spot, something we’ve seen with Nakatani in the past.
Final Thoughts
It’s a very interesting fight to break down because Loma is the much faster of the two, but Nakatani’s reach could thwart Vasyl’s entries. I think that Masayoshi will need to have active feet and try to keep up with Loma, or crowd the former champ and try to corner him or wear on him to slow him down.
Ultimately, I think Lomachenko will be just too fast, forcing Nakatani to swing at air as Loma avoids punishment. When Masayoshi slows, Vasyl will attack late – likely a decision, though a sprinkle on rounds 10-12 at +700 is worth a shot.
