Despite the fight having at one stage been cancelled, Lee Selby will finally get the chance to take on Jonathan Victor Barros, with the Welshman putting his IBF featherweight title on the line in doing so. The Welshman had originally been due to meet the Argentine in January in Las Vegas, however the fight was called off with 24 hours’ notice after Barros failed to meet the relevant licensing conditions.
The duo will now finally come face to face however, battling it out on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr’s contest with Arthur Abraham at Wembley Arena on the 15th July. The reigning champion is the undoubted favourite to see off his older opponent, however it could be a lot closer than many are predicting. Let’s take a look at the two fighters, as well as our top betting tip for the fight.
Lee Selby
Selby has been in impressive form of late, defeating the likes of Fernando Montiel, Eric Hunter and Andoni Gago, having previously been overcome Evgeny Gradovich in order to claim the world title back in 2015. Selby has a 24-1 career record, with his only defeat coming at the hands of Samir Mouneimne back in 2009. The 30-year-old has been in imperious form since then however, winning his last 20 fights, seven of which have come by way of knock-out. Despite the Welshman not having the power of some, he more than makes up for it with his speed and agility, something that may well be crucial against his older opponent.
Jonathan Victor Barros
At the age of 33, Barros may well be heading into the twilight years of his career, however with a 41-4 career record, the Argentine is certainly not a man to take lightly. With a small height advantage and reach over Selby, Barros will be looking to take the fight to his opponent, with four of his last seven wins coming via knock-out. Barros’ last defeat came back in 2012 when he was beaten by Miguel Angel Garcia.
Top Betting Tip
Given his form over recent years, the sensible bet surrounding this fight is to back Selby to come out on top. The Welshman has not looked back since picking up his title, and we are backing him to produce another good performance in London on Saturday. Betway offer best odds of 20/1 for Selby to claim any sort of win.