Shakur Stevenson fight prediction, odds and best bet: Why Artem Harutyunyan will avoid KO

Unbeaten pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson seeks a spectacular showing in his maiden defense of the WBC lightweight title against hard-hitting contender Artem Harutyunyan at the Prudential Center in Newark on July 6. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by ESPN+ in the U.S.

Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) was less than impressive in his title-winning effort against Edwin De Los Santos in November. With both men being natural counterpunchers, the bout turned into a tedious affair devoid of worthwhile action. The champ now wants to remind fans why he’s one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) was born in Armenia and fights out of Hamburg, Germany. After winning 12 straight bouts, he was matched against capable American Frank Martin last July. Entering the final round it was anyone’s fight, but Martin forced his opponent to take a knee and claimed a close unanimous decision victory. This will be Harutyunyan’s first world title bout.

Will Stevenson stay unbeaten on his path toward pound-for-pound supremacy? Here are the latest odds along with our prediction and best bets for this lightweight championship fight.

Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan betting odds and trends

Per BetMGM , Stevenson is the -2500 favorite while Harutyunyan is the +1100 underdog.

• Stevenson via KO/ TKO/ Tech. Dec/ DQ: +110
• Stevenson via decision: -120
• Harutyunyan via KO/TKO/Tech. Dec/ DQ: +1400
• Harutyunyan via decision: +3300
• Draw: +2500

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Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan prediction, best bets

Despite the odds being ridiculously wide in favor of Stevenson, Harutyunyan is a quality operator. Stylistically, he’s an aggressive, come-forward slugger who wears down the opposition with a relentless attack, but there’s more to him than that.

The challenger is quick on his feet and very adept at closing the distance. He can slip shots, create angles, work the body, and his combination punching is excellent. But the issue is that all of this works against a certain caliber of opponent.

While he was very competitive against Martin, that was his first significant step up in class and he was found wanting. Stevenson is levels above Martin, incredibly skilled, and likely to find even more punching opportunities.

WATCH: Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan live on ESPN+

Harutyunyan is guilty of going a bit wide with his punches, and against a sharp-shooting southpaw like Stevenson that could spell doom. The American’s feet are incredible and he just operates on a completely different dimension in terms of speed and reflexes.

While this promises to be a long night for Harutyunyan, I do see him reaching the finish line before dropping a lopsided points decision.

Sporting News prediction: Stevenson UD 12 ( Per BetMGM : -120)