By Ruslan Chikov
Ola Afolabi lost a close twelve round decision to WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck last year. He spoke with reporter Alexander Pavlov about Huck's defense on Saturday against unbeaten Russian puncher Denis Lebedev at Max Schmeling Halle, in Berlin, Germany. Afolabi expects Lebedev to knock Huck out in the mid-rounds.
"When I fought with Huck, I was not in great physical shape, and, nevertheless, had him hurt in the fifth round. I think that if Lebedev really hurts him, the battle will end immediately. I believe that Denis will win by knockout, between fourth and the seventh. If the battle drags on, then Huck could win by decision," Afolabi said.
Afolabi thinks Lebedev can win easy if he brings the fight to Huck instead of laying back and being too calm.
"I saw [Lebedev's fights] against Enzo Maccarinelli and Alexander Alekseev. Alekseev is a good puncher, but he acted very passively. Therefore, Huck can be a very easy opponent for Lebedev. If the Russian will be more intense, then Dennis can cause problems. He is a good fighter and also a lefty. And he provides additional problems because he throws from unusual angles," Afolabi said.
