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The last time Sakio Bika suffered a ring loss was when he played the role of Super Six sub in dropping a wide decision to Andre Ward nearly three years ago.
The closest he's since come to losing was in his very last fight, when Anthony Dirrell gave him all he can handle for 12 rounds in their super middleweight brawl last December. The judges were split on how the action played out, rendering the bout a draw, which meant Bika would get to keep the alphabet trinket he acquired six months prior.
Fast forward nine months later, the two will meet again. Their super middleweight title fight is staged as the chief support of a SHOWTIME-televised tripleheader, which airs live from the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Bookending the fight, Omar Figueroa defends his lightweight belt versus Daniel Estrada in the televised opener, while Shawn Porter puts his welterweight belt on the line versus Kell Brook in the evening's main event.
Perseverance is the best way to describe the lengthy career enjoyed by Bika (32-5-3, 21KOs). The 35-year old came up short in three previous tries at alphabet glory before hitting paydirt with a narrow points win over Marco Antonio Periban last June.
His lone title defense came last December, barely extending his reign in fighting Dirrell to a disputed draw. The bout marked the first time Dirrell (26-0-1, 22KOs) fought on the title stage, and handled himself remarkably well. A member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic boxing squad along with his brother Andre Dirrell, the feat was trumped by the current proudest moment in his life - overcoming Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, which kept him out of the ring for nearly two years before embarking on a comeback in 2008.
Dirrell won 14 straight before failing to convince at least two of the three judges that he deserved the win over Bika last year.
Will the unbeaten contender claim the crown? Or can Bika reverse the disturbing trend of Australia-based boxers coming up well short in major fights as of late?
Read on to find out how the staff at BoxingScene.com believes tonight's super middleweight action will play out. [Click Here To Read More]
The closest he's since come to losing was in his very last fight, when Anthony Dirrell gave him all he can handle for 12 rounds in their super middleweight brawl last December. The judges were split on how the action played out, rendering the bout a draw, which meant Bika would get to keep the alphabet trinket he acquired six months prior.
Fast forward nine months later, the two will meet again. Their super middleweight title fight is staged as the chief support of a SHOWTIME-televised tripleheader, which airs live from the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Bookending the fight, Omar Figueroa defends his lightweight belt versus Daniel Estrada in the televised opener, while Shawn Porter puts his welterweight belt on the line versus Kell Brook in the evening's main event.
Perseverance is the best way to describe the lengthy career enjoyed by Bika (32-5-3, 21KOs). The 35-year old came up short in three previous tries at alphabet glory before hitting paydirt with a narrow points win over Marco Antonio Periban last June.
His lone title defense came last December, barely extending his reign in fighting Dirrell to a disputed draw. The bout marked the first time Dirrell (26-0-1, 22KOs) fought on the title stage, and handled himself remarkably well. A member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic boxing squad along with his brother Andre Dirrell, the feat was trumped by the current proudest moment in his life - overcoming Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, which kept him out of the ring for nearly two years before embarking on a comeback in 2008.
Dirrell won 14 straight before failing to convince at least two of the three judges that he deserved the win over Bika last year.
Will the unbeaten contender claim the crown? Or can Bika reverse the disturbing trend of Australia-based boxers coming up well short in major fights as of late?
Read on to find out how the staff at BoxingScene.com believes tonight's super middleweight action will play out. [Click Here To Read More]