Why is Cleverly fighting Illunga Makabu?

[sslg99]

I've watched a few of this guys fight and hes got tremendous ko power, cleverly just got knocked out, and is taking a very high risk, low reward fight. I dont understand it.

[Hougigo]

Maybe to prove something?
Also... Makabu's defense is putting his gloves up and walking forward. Maybe they feel they can exploit that

[sslg99]

Maybe to prove something?
Also... Makabu's defense is putting his gloves up and walking forward. Maybe they feel they can exploit that

And he probably can exploit it, but if makabu gets one good shot in, it could be all over for cleverly, a ko loss to someone virtually no one knows would not look good at all. If he looses his career will most likely be over.

[HeroBando]

It's unbelievable, given his and Frank Warren's history. First everyone tells them Kovalev was a bad idea, but they go with it after years of protection and babying. Then he gets destroyed, they pick another high risk/low reward puncher. Everybody says it's a bad idea again. Has Warren gone insane? Does he want a quick exit from boxing, had enough?

[Sparked_26]

Maybe Cleverley just wants to see where he stands.

[Chris Collins]

Well Cleverly has a good chin and Makabu, from what I've seen of him, relies a lot on his power and tbh doesn't look very good, so maybe this is a good fight for Cleverly. Although it is a risk considering he's moving up in weight and just been destroyed by Kovalev

[SthPaw]

Big risk fight but if he comes out on top after moving up in weight beating a risky opponent perhaps he could put himself on his way to rebuilding...

But if this one goes the way his last fight does, I dunno about where he goes...

[Gordon_Gekko]

Echoing other posts in here. When I first heard, I got de-ja-vu of Khan vs Prescott and Cleverley vs Kovalev. Very risky move.

[badnewsbrown]

Makabu really ain't that good and people on here are talking like he's one of the elite.

[HeroBando]

Makabu really ain't that good and people on here are talking like he's one of the elite.

He seems to be a top 10 cruiser, which is 25lbs up from where Cleverly struggled with Bellew and just got blown out by another unproven puncher. This guy looks much better to me then Bellew, nm the weight diff.