JOSHUA BUATSI and Craig Richards throw down for British bragging rights this weekend as the pair square off at the O2 Arena in their highly-anticipated light-heavyweight domestic dust up. London takes centre stage for the 50/50, as the pair look to move one step closer to a shot at world honours in the 175-pound division.

On paper, this is a genuine 50/50 fight and is extremely difficult to call. Joshua Buatsi turned professional after catching the eye at the Rio 2016 Olympics, but hasn’t yet reached the levels which fight fans expected him to. Meanwhile, Craig Richards has chopped away bit by bit, earning himself a shot at the WBA world title last year in the process.

If you fancy a bet on the huge domestic light-heavyweight clash fight this weekend, read on and check out our betting tips and predictions, as well as making use of the various free bets and betting offers on this page.

Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards prediction

This fight is a tough one to call. Had it have been a year ago, the majority of boxing fans would have said with assured confidence that Joshua Buatsi would come out on top. But not now.

Craig Richards is riding the crest of a wave right now, and has thrown his name into the hat as one of the best 175-pound fighters in Britain, without any shadow of a doubt. ‘Spider’ earned his second British title shot last year against Shakan Pitters, in a fight that he was deemed the underdog against the undefeated champion. He emphatically won by ninth round knockout on that occasion, proving that he is still a problem for anyone in the light-heavyweight division in the UK.

That win earnt him a shot at the WBA world title against a certain Dmitry Bivol. Although Richards lost that fight, he most certainly gave Bivol the toughest fight of his career. Looking back on that fight now, it was a spectacular performance from Richards, who perhaps did far better against the Russian superstar than pound-for-pound Canelo Alvarez did.

However, he will be up against one of the hottest prospects in the division in Joshua Buatsi come Saturday night. Buatsi, undefeated in 15 fights with 13 of those wins coming by knockout, is a superstar in the making.

Despite only fighting three times in 33 months, Buatsi has teamed up with legendary trainer Virgil Hunter, who he has been working with for over a year now. This move raised a few eyebrows in the boxing world, but is certainly one that should bring out the best in the 25-year-old.

Here at SportsLens, we think Buatsi has all of the tools to go on and beat the who’s who of the light-heavyweight division. This is just another step in his career, which happens to be his toughest fight on paper, but one he should come through.

Although Buatsi has nearly all knockouts in his professional career, we think this one could be destined for the judges scorecards as Richards is as game as they come and has aspirations of fighting for a world title again in the not so distant future. A great fight on paper and one we think goes the distance.

Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards prediction: Buatsi to win by decision @ 11/5 with BoyleSports

Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards betting tips

As we have already alluded to, we think this is most definitely the toughest fight of Joshua Buatsi’s career, but one he is capable of passing with flying colours.

Buatsi was one of the best and sought after boxers after medalling in the 2016 Rio Olympics, and promotor Eddie Hearn snapped him up as soon as possible as he knew he had a star on his hands. He was most definitely right, but as of late his career has halted just a little bit due to injury, the COVID-19 pandemic and the change of trainer too.

Now, Buatsi is on the cusp of something great. He has talent in abundance and has all the tools needed to become one of the best light-heavyweights on the planet. That road to 175-pound supremacy starts on Saturday night at the O2 Arena.

Here at SportsLens, we think Buatsi will not only win on points, in what will be a nip and tuck fight in the opening exchanges, but that he will win it unanimously too.

The reason for this is because Buatsi is a seasoned amateur, he is a boxer before a puncher, has excellent footwork, great movement and is a fine puncher on the outside. He may need to go to the trenches and slug it out a bit with Craig Richards, who trainer Peter Sims has most definitely got the best out of in recent fights.

It won’t be the most thrilling of fights as Richards can make it awkward for Buatsi, but we can see the Croydon man picking up enough rounds to win this relatively comfortably on the judges scorecards, via unanimous decision.

Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards betting tip: Buatsi to win in via unanimous decision @ 3/1 with BoyleSports

Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards best bet

Although we have waxed lyrical about how this fight is destined to go the full 36 minutes and how the judges scorecards will be needed, there is a chance it could end a bit earlier.

The knockout ratio of Joshua Buatsi’s professional victories is 87%. That simply cannot be ignored. So a win for the 29-year-old inside the scheduled distance isn’t beyond the realms of possibility.

We do feel like the points victory is more likely for Buatsi, but if he is as good as everyone says he is and makes Richards miss and pay, ‘Spider’ may get desperate down the stretch and have to take more risks.

This could be when the knockout could come for Buatsi, when Richards is taking ore risks and possibly over compensating for being behind on the scorecards.

Only time will tell how this battle of Britain light-heavyweight showdown will go on Saturday night at the famous O2 Arena, but one thing is for sure, it’s a fight not to be missed.

Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards best bet: Buatsi to win in rounds 9-12 @ 15/4 with BoyleSports

Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards odds

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Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

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When is Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards?

Date: Saturday, 21st May

Ring Walks expected: 10.30pm GMT, O2 Arena, London, England, UK

Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards TV channel and live stream

TV channel: If you have DAZN on your TV, you will be able to watch this domestic light-heavyweight mega fight from London live on DAZN.

Live stream: DAZN subscribers can also catch the action online via the DAZN app, provided you subscribe to DAZN and pay your £7.99 monthly subscription.

Tale of the Tape

Joshua Buatsi record and bio:

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 14th March 1993 (29-years-old)
• Height: 6′ 2″
• Reach: 74 1/2″
• Total Fights: 15
• Record: 15-0 (13 KOs)

Craig Richards record and bio:

• Nationality: English
• Date of Birth: 30th April 1990 (32-years-old)
• Height: 6′ 1″
• Reach: 73″
• Total Fights: 20
• Record: 17-2-1 (10 KOs)

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