Sergey Kovalev vs Robin Safar Prediction: We Believe in Crusher

Former champion Sergey Kovalev is back in the ring on May 18th in Saudi Arabia. He'll be facing off against undefeated Swedish boxer Robin Safar. The bout is part of the Alexander Usik vs Tyson Fury show. It'll be the first cruiserweight fight.

Sergey Kovalev

Not too long ago, Sergey Kovalev was the most decorated Russian boxer, holding three belts from three different organizations at once. He was known as a "Crusher" and knocked out everyone he faced with brutal efficiency.

Trouble started in 2016 when the judges gave the victory to Andre Ward. Things got even more out of hand in the rematch, with Ward winning by technical knockout. Kovalev bounced back with a few more wins and faced the champion at the time, Saul Alvarez. This fight was very close, but Sergey was visibly tired and was knocked out.

After that, Kovalev didn't fight for three years - it was the pandemic, and he failed a doping test. He returned to the ring in 2022 but to a heavier weight category. He beat Tervel Pulev (record at the time was 16-0) by split decision, and he went off the radar for two years.

Robin Safar

This Swedish boxer, who lives and trains in the U.S. full-time, isn't well-known yet. So, a fight with Kovalev would be a good move. Safar has had no losses, but the competition has been pretty average. Robin hasn't shown anything special so far, but he's getting better, and many experts think the fight with the former champ will be a breakthrough for him.

Safar beat Deshawn Webster (12-6-3) in his last bout. We would love to see something interesting and dangerous in his skills or technique since, for now, we don't see anything like that.

Expert Betting Tips

It's impossible to objectively evaluate and compare boxers' strength because we don't know what kind of shape Sergey Kovalev is in now or how ready he is. From what we can tell, he's been training and seems motivated. He says he's on the rock bottom and needs the win.

He won't be the former "Crusher" in his forties, but if he's at least fifty percent, he'll win for sure. So, the question is whether you think Kovalev has been training hard and is at the top of his game for this fight.