This weekend’s “Knockout at the D” event at Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC) will feature the main event between undefeated Arif “The Predator” Magomedov 17-0, 10 KOs, and Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez, 11-4-1, 3 KOs, in a ten-round battle live on CBS Sports Network. Below is the scouting report for this bout:
Category | Arif “The Predator” Magomedov | Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez |
Age | 23 | 30 |
Record | 17-0-0 (10 KOs) | 11-4-1 (3 KOs) |
Strength | Arif possesses power in both hands and puts together vicious combinations. He fights hungry and applies pressure throughout the fight. | Hernandez is a tough and fearless fighter who is also a fast starter in the ring. He has a slick right hand and is an adequate counter-puncher. |
Weakness | The Predator has yet to face any top-level opposition, he must be careful not to overlook The Hurricane, who has faced better opposition thus far. | Andrew lacks sufficient speed and power in his hands; he will have to utilize his movement and counter-punching skills effectively to keep Magomedov’s pressure style at will. |
Experience | Arif may be at a slight disadvantage, he has not faced any top ranked opponents at this point in his young career. | Hernandez will have the slight edge. He has fought better opposition and he has done so in multiple divisions; including wins against Jerry Odom and Jeff Page Jr. |
Power | Arif throws powerful combinations and good body shots. He has a unique ability to physically break his opponents down throughout the fight. | The Hurricane will be at a disadvantage here, he does not carry much pop in either hand. He has yet to record a stoppage win as a middleweight contender |
Speed | He has solid speed that comes on display during his vicious combinations. He throws a left hook to the body that looks as if it were shot out of a canon. | Andrew does not possess the most effective speed, however, what he lacks in speed he makes up for in timing. He has a right hand that when timed correctly can be a game-changer in the bout. |
Endurance | Arif has gone a full 12 rounds once back in 2014, and has been 10 rounds on three separate occasions. | We are still uncertain on the strength of Andrew’s endurance; he has yet to go a full ten rounds. |
Accuracy | The Predator has good accuracy; he likes to fight from a close distance, which makes it much easier to hit your target. | Hernandez is also an accurate puncher, he throws meaningful shots and does not like to waste any punches. |
Defense | Arif cuts off the ring well, making it uncomfortable and difficult for some of his opponents to get their punches off. | Andrew moves around the ring well, he likes to stick and move rather than allow his opponents to use him as a punching bag. |
Chin | Magomedov will have the edge here, he has been down earlier in his career but managed to recover and finish the fight. He has not been in any real danger since. | The Hurricane’s chin is on the fence for now. He has been stopped twice in his career, but he has also survived bouts at Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight with some big punchers. |
Style | Arif has an aggressive in-your-face style; he likes to walk his opponents down unleashing vicious combinations along the way. | Hernandez is a tough counter-puncher with more experience under his belt, he is an accurate puncher who utilizes a slick right hand when catching his opponents off guard. |
Intangibles | The Predator has continuously strived to mix up his opposition and improve his own game. He took on a durable veteran in Darnell Boone whom he stopped early, and soon after that he out-boxed Derrick Webster, a slick technical fighter. He has completely flipped the switch here and will test his skillset against a tough and durable guy who has held his own against contenders in multiple divisions. | We are not even half-way through 2016 and this will be Hernandez’s 3rd bout of the year thus far, with one of those bouts coming against Light Heavyweight prospect Ahmed Elbiali. He will now take his talents to the Middleweight division and is wasting little time in trying to make a name for himself. He will attempt to rattle the rankings by knocking off the current WBC #2 Middleweight contender, Arif Magomedov. |
Crowd Support | Arif may have a solid crowd support; his aggressive and physical style is appealing to many boxing fans. | Hernandez may be at a disadvantage here; he has not fought in Las Vegas since 2013, but a win over a top ranked Middleweight here will surely put him on notice with the fans in attendance and those tuning in as well. |
The Match-up |
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According to 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “Every young fighter should take a fight like this one when they are coming up and I give both guys credit for accepting the challenge. Hernandez is coming off a win and could have waited around for a different fight, but decided to test himself against the up-and-comer Magomedov. Arif, likewise, decided to challenge himself by choosing to fight the bigger guy who moves around the ring at time.”
