Quigg has the power to shock featherweight champion Valdez

WBO featherweight title
Sky Sports Main Event, from 2am Saturday night

Scott Quigg has become something of a forgotten man since losing to Carl Frampton in 2016 but he will catapult himself back to the top of the boxing tree if he beats promising Mexican Oscar Valdez in California.

It's a fight he can win but – as odds of 3-1 suggest – he is up against it, partly because Valdez is undefeated with 23 wins (19 KOs) and partly because the champion is seen as the next big thing by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

As the 'away' fighter Quigg will have to make sure the judges are taken out of the equation as he is unlikely to get any favours if it is close, but he is better than many people give him credit for and is capable of giving Valdez problems.

Consider this. The Frampton loss is Quigg's only defeat and it was by split decision and despite him suffering a broken jaw in the fourth round. Had that not happened the outcome could have been very different.

Since then Quigg has relocated to Los Angeles to train under legendary coach Freddie Roach, and he has recorded three wins against good opposition since moving up from super-bantam to featherweight.

Roach has been impressed with Quigg's workrate and attitude, and thinks he has the power to win by knockout, which is a 4-1 shot.

"A lot of people don't understand the power he has. He has tremendous power and I wouldn't be surprised if he knocks this guy out," Roach told Sky Sports.

Valdez has a perfect record but this is the biggest test of his career, and despite two wins in 2017 it wasn't plain sailing for him.

Both of his victories were by unanimous decisions but he was rocked in each of them and had to get up off the canvas in his last fight to beat Genesis Servania in a real tear-up.

Valdez loves a toe-to-toe battle but that suits Quigg too, and if Frampton couldn't stop him despite fighting eight rounds with a broken jaw it seems unlikely the Mexican will be able to finish it early.

If you fancy Valdez, back him to win on points at 7-5, but Quigg has nothing to fear and could easily post an upset.

Recommendation
S Quigg
1pt 3-1 bet365

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