Adrian Curiel and Sivenathi Nontshinga are set to reconvene three months after their first meeting. Curiel seeks to defend his recently won IBF Light Flyweight title by duplicating his victory from November against the South African challenger. Nontshinga, on the other hand, will aim to recover from his first professional defeat with an avenging victory against Curiel in front of his home crowd.
Curiel began his professional boxing career in 2016. Despite facing a defeat against Cristian Gonzalez Hernandez in 2021, he has rebounded strongly with a nine-fight undefeated streak.
Sharing Curiel’s youthful pedigree, 25-year-old Nontshinga brings a 12-1 record with nine knockouts and 82 rounds of experience since his 2017 pro debut. Unlike Curiel, his punching power packs a punch, with 75 percent of his wins coming by stoppage. His knockout streak has stalled in recent times, however, as he’s win-less by KO in his last four fights (1-3 record). His last knockout victory came in March 2020, stopping Ivan Soriano in the fifth round.
Can a raucous home crowd help Curiel take his unbeaten streak to double digits? Or is it going to be the perfect revenge for Nontshinga? We examined the latest bookmaker William Hill odds in this Adrian Curiel vs. Sivenathi Nontshinga betting preview.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 15th, 11:30 P.M. (GMT)
The upcoming bout between Adrian Curiel and Sivenathi Nontshinga promises to be a close one, despite Curiel holding a slight edge in the betting odds at bookmaker William Hill (1.67 to 2.20). While Nontshinga is the underdog, a draw is surprisingly favoured at 17.00, suggesting a tense, action-packed fight where either fighter could emerge victorious.
Curiel faced Nontshinga in November, delivering a stunning knockout in the second round with a powerful right hand that sent Nontshinga to the mat. This unexpected outcome was among the biggest surprises in boxing in 2023. Now the question arises: can Curiel achieve the same feat again?
The last bout between the two lasted only four minutes and nine seconds, which suggests Nontshinga was caught off guard. Curiel tends to press forward and exert pressure on his opponents. His morale must be soaring after his victory over Nontshinga.
In contrast, Nontshinga relies on his footwork and jab, often adopting a defensive stance. The rematch promises to be closely contested, with Nontshinga having the skills and power to regain his title. We expect him to do his homework before going into the ring. In fact, we believe Nontshinga could exploit Curiel’s tactical shortcomings and avenge his November loss. Therefore, we are backing a Nontshinga win at 2.20.
