Whyte v Povetkin: heavyweight boxing prediction and free tips

Boxing tips and predictions for the heavyweight fight between Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin at the Matchroom Fight Camp on Saturday night.

Where to watch

Sky Box Office, 10pm approx

Best bet

Dillian Whyte to win by decision
1pt 13-8 Betfred

Fight preview

Dillian Whyte has been the WBC's number one heavyweight contender since 2017 without getting a title shot but with no sign of one coming his way in the foreseeable future he will instead fight again for the interim title he has won several times before.

Tyson Fury holds the WBC title after his impressive demolition of Deontay Wilder earlier this year. But that fight came with a rematch clause, which has already been pushed back due to the Covid pandemic. The winner of that is likely to face Anthony Joshua is a mega-money unification bout which may also have rematch clauses attached, so it could be years before a chance of winning the belt becomes available.

In the meantime, Whyte will take on veteran Russian Alexander Povetkin, a former WBA world heavyweight champion with vast experience who has lost only two fights in his career - against Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.

Povetkin is 40, eight years older than Whyte, and while his chances of becoming a world champion again are fading he is technically very good and difficult to beat.

A year ago he proved that he still has what it takes to overcome the younger generation when he schooled Hughie Fury over 12 rounds, and Whyte knows that if he is to emerge victorious he must have a solid game-plan and stick to it.

His last fight was a disappointing snoozefest - ten rounds of non-action against Mariusz Wach on the undercard of the Joshua v Andy Ruiz rematch in Saudi Arabia. He won that fight on points but he didn't win many new fans.

That undercard also featured Povetkin, who battled to a 12-round draw with American Michael Hunter.

Neither Whyte or Povetkin were happy with their performances, and both have weighed in for Saturday's fight lighter than they were in Diriyah.

Whyte has only one defeat in his career, to Joshua in 2015, but he has improved significantly since then and has enough ability to either box smartly on the back foot or brawl with the best of them - as he did in two classic back-and-forth battles with Dereck Chisora, both of which he won.

Whyte has plenty of power if he chooses to use it but he cannot afford to take risks against someone of Povetkin's ability and he will be happy enough to settle for a win on the scorecards - something that has happened in three of his last four fights.

Four of Povetkin's last six contests have also gone the distance, and with both men looking to shake off some ring rust expect this fight to go all the way.

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