Dillian Whyte to shock Moses Itauma here's why

In what is tipped to be a classic tale of out with the old and in with the new, the 37 year old veteran of the heavyweight division Dillian Whyte meets 20 year old Moses Itauma tipped to be the 'future' of the division. But here's why it might not be that simple.

The event is set to start at 5.45pm UK time at the BNB Arena, Riyadh. With the majority clearly favouring the rising star in their pre-fight predictions, a heavy weight rests on such young shoulders. Of which, the pressing question is can he cope with it? Here's why I feel an upset could well be on the cards.

Undeniably, the future of Moses Itauma lays at the very top of the division. Possessing impeccable timing and speed with a ring IQ abnormal for someone of his age, it is clear to see why he is such a favourite for this fight. Whilst, Whyte looking very sluggish and out of shape in his most recent victory against Ebenezer Tetteh has also fuelled these opinions.

What does Whyte have to cause an upset?

Throughout the years, Whyte has never been known for dodging a tough fight and so there is no surprise that he has taken such a risky fight against Itauma. With a long list of quality opposition to his resume, whilst only 3 losses to dampen this. Fighting Fury at Wembley and competing in a British blockbuster against Anthony Joshua as the two were upcoming, he is accustomed to fighting on the biggest stages. Whilst also, completing in some brutal battles with the likes of Joseph Parker and most notably Derek Chisora. So there was no doubt in my mind, there is the potential for an upset. Despite this, I was still leaning towards Itauma. Here's why this changed.

Pictured: Dillian Whyte (Right) takes on Derek Chisora.

In a truly dominant performance at the UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Anthony Hernandez became the first fighter to finish #10 ranked Roman Dolidze.

The problem for Dillian Whyte that I couldn't look passed was how slow and out-of-shape he had looked in his previous fights. In these fights, the game plan for Whyte appeared to be to drag his opponent into a slow brawl. One which I could not see working against Itauma, who is much too sharp for this. However, my opinion changed once I saw the recent footage of Whyte where he was in immaculate shape, labelled the 'best shape of his life' by many.

Pictured: from Dillian's instagram showing the fighter in great shape ahead of fight week

It is clear now that Whyte is planning for the fight to endure into the later rounds, which is where I believe he will benefit. With Itauma having little to no experience coping in a fight of this duration, this spells real trouble. Dillian is an expert at taking a fight to the trenches and if he can ride the wave of the early pressure from Itauma, he will do this. How well Itauma can cope with this? We will have to see. But one thing is for certain, once the fight exceeds passed round 6... the odds shift tremendously.