William Zepeda Segura vs Maxi Hughes Prediction: Zepeda aims for another unbeaten win

With Devin Haney moving up and leaving the undisputed belts vacant, William Zepeda and Maxi Hughes are gearing up to face off in an IBF and WBA title eliminator bout this weekend. The winner will earn the next shot at the title. The match will take place at Chelsea in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, and fans can catch all the action live on DAZN. Zepeda enters the ring after an impressive performance, securing a 6th-round TKO victory against Mercito Gesta on Mexican Independence Day last year. On the other hand, Hughes is looking to bounce back after losing his IBO lightweight title to the formidable George Kambosos in July.

Mexican boxer Zepeda has never been defeated in his 29 professional fights, knocking out his opponents 25 times by the age of 27. He holds the WBA Continental Americas lightweight title and has dominated every opponent he's faced. In his last match in September, he knocked out Mercito Gesta in the sixth round. Zepeda started his pro career in 2015 after a successful amateur run, including bouts in the World Series of Boxing. He's only gone past six rounds twice, against former world champions René Alvarado and Joseph Diaz, defeating them both by unanimous decisions. Standing at 5 feet 9 inches with a reach of 69.5 inches, Zepeda has proven himself against tough competition, defeating fighters like Jose Fierros, Jesus Zazueta, Jose Rosales, and Roberto Ramirez. He boasts an 86% knockout rate and has completed 131 professional rounds before turning 28.

Hughes, a British pro boxer, boasts a track record of 26 wins, 6 losses, and 2 draws, with 5 victories via knockout. He clinched the IBO lightweight championship from 2021 to 2023, along with the British lightweight title and various regional titles. However, he faced a setback when he narrowly lost to former world champ George Kambosos Jr. in a disputed decision, surrendering his IBO lightweight title. Despite this, Hughes has claimed other titles, including the British Central Area Super Featherweight Title, the WBC International Lightweight Belt, and the British Lightweight Championship. He secured the IBO Crown by defeating Jovanni Straffon via unanimous decision in October 2021 and defended it twice against Ryan Walsh and Kid Galahad. With his recent performance against Kambosos, Hughes seems to have gained confidence, though, at 34, it's a pivotal moment in his career. Standing at 5 feet 7 inches tall, he fights as a southpaw with a 67-inch reach, accumulating 243 professional rounds since his debut in 2010. Notable defeats include matches against Kambosos Jr., Scott Cardle, Martin Ward, and Liam Walsh, with two losses by stoppage against Sam Bowen and Martin Ward. He also has two draws against Martin Ward and Ronnie Clark.

Hughes lost badly to Kambosos, but Zepeda is a completely different animal with his immense strength and relentless barrage of punches. Hughes will certainly be helpless in the face of Zepeda's unrelenting punching, and he lacks the strength to defend himself. Hughes and Zepeda are deserving adversaries. Which fighter will come out on top? That's a tough question. Still, I'm picking William Zepeda to win via technical knockout.