Lawrence Okolie vs. David Light Fight Card, Odds & Predictions

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Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao raises his WBO welterweight championship belt during a news conference upon arrival from Los Angeles.
(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Anatoly Pimentel @AnatolyPimentel Mar 22, 2023, 8:39 PM
  • Lawrence Okolie is the heavy favorite at -600.
  • David Light is the overwhelming underdog at +400.

The legendary Manchester Arena (currently known as the AO Arena) in England will play host to its hometown Lawrence Okolie’s (18-0) third WBO World Cruiserweight Title defense against fellow undefeated challenger David Light (20-0) as they headline the boxing festivities this Saturday, March 25, 2023.

Okolie, who is appearing in his fourth world title bout, is a heavy favorite in the boxing odds at -600 to retain his belt over Light, who, on the other hand, takes the overwhelming underdog tag at +400. Meanwhile, this will be Light’s first major title opportunity in his six-year professional career, as he has only been able to fight for regional and minor boxing titles. 

Apart from having the home crowd’s support, Okolie is the superior name in boxing betting lines because of his championship experience and higher finishing rate. The British sensation also has fought far more prominent names in Krzystof Glowacki and Michal Cieslask compared to the New Zealander, who only had one top contender opponent thus far in Brandon Glanton.

Lawrence Okolie Recent Fight Result

Following stints in the 2016 Olympics and 2016 World Series of Boxing, Lawrence Okolie transitioned to the paid ranks in March 2017 and scored a first-round stoppage in his debut against Geoffrey Cave. It was succeeded by six more wins, including five stoppages, to earn himself his maiden crack at a minor boxing title.

In February 2018, Okolie unanimously beat Isaac Chamberlain to win the vacant WBA Continental Cruiserweight Title. Then, he extended his unbeaten streak to 15 with wins over Luke Watkins, Matty Askin, Tamas Lodi, Wadi Camacho, Mariano Gudino, Yves Ngabu and Nikodem Jezewski.

During this stretch, “The Sauce” not only defended the WBA Continental Title, but he was also able to add the Commonwealth Boxing Council Cruiserweight Title, BBBofC British Cruiserweight Title, EBU European Cruiserweight Title, and WBO International Cruiserweight Title to his collection.

Because of this success, Okolie finally earned his first major opportunity to win a world title when he was pitted against Krzysztof Glowacki in March 2021 for the vacant WBO World Cruiserweight Title. The Hackney, London native maximized the chance and knocked out Glowacki in six rounds.

So far, the 30-year-old was successful in his first two title defenses after fending off the challenges from Dilan Prasovic (third-round knockout victory in September 2021) and Michal Cieslak (unanimous decision victory in February 2022. Okolie hopes to continue his reign by adding David Light to his list of victims.

David Light Recent Fight Result

Like Okolie, David Light was a decorated amateur boxer in his home country, New Zealand, where he racked up tournament wins and collected gold medals. After a successful amateur career, Light finally jumped to the professional ranks in November 2017 and knocked out Lui Te’o in the second round of his debut fight.

After the successful debut, “The Great White” lived up to his moniker by dominating the local scene in New Zealand, racking up 16 straight victories and, in the process, collecting several national and regional titles, such as the New Zealand Professional Boxing Commission Cruiserweight Title, World Boxing Foundation Intercontinental Cruiserweight Title and the WBO Oriental Cruiserweight Title.

This impressive run played a big role in securing his first fight on American soil against Anthony Martinez in May 2022. The pair fought for the vacant WBO International Cruiserweight Title, and Light made quick work of Martinez with an opening-round knockout. Five months after this successful US debut, Light added Vikas Singh to his win tally with a second-round knockout finish.

The victory that sealed Light’s title shot against Okolie is his latest triumph over Brandon Glanton, where he eked out a close split decision result in December 2022 to win the WBO International Cruiserweight Title anew and add the WBO Global Cruiserweight Title. The 31-year-old hopes to score a massive upset against Okolie this Saturday.

Lawrence Okolie vs. David Light: Tale of the Tape

Lawrence OkolieDavid Light
Age3031
Height6’5”6’2”
Reach82.7 inches76 inches
Record18-020-0
StanceOrthodoxOrthodox
TKO/KO Percentage78%60%

Lawrence Okolie vs. David Light: Fight Analysis

The betting odds are not only the number in favor of Okolie, as the tale of the tape also sways toward his direction with a three-inch height and a 6.2-inch reach advantage over Light. Both fighters are relatively at the peak of their careers, with Okolie at 30 years old and Light at 31. They also have an unscathed record on top of the high TKO/KO percentage.

Okolie’s signature power punch is his deadly right hand, and he sets this lethal punch with two variations; first, he uses the entire length of his 82.7 inches of reach with jabs before unleashing the right-hand punch, and the other one is when he sit and wait for his opponents to open up and sneak this powerful punch right on their head or chin.

On the other hand, Light is more of a pressure-forward boxer who loves to close the distance and fire at close range. He pushes his opponents backward with solid jabs, and once they oblige to his pressure, he pours on his patented combinations to the head and body. Although he has a slight speed edge over Okolie, he is vulnerable to counterpunches.

That being said, the fighting style of Light is a perfect approach for Okolie’s technique, particularly his atomic right hand. If Light continues to press forward using his jabs, it could open up a big opportunity for the champion to slip in his power right-hand punch to neutralize the pressure from the challenger and possibly end the punch with a knockout victory.

Lawrence Okolie vs. David Light: Date and Start Time

March 25, 2023, 3:00 p.m. PST

March 25, 2023, 5:00 p.m. CST

March 25, 2023, 6:00 p.m. EST

Lawrence Okolie vs. David Light: Fight Prediction

Official Prediction: TKO/KO victory for Lawrence Okolie.

See the entire Lawrence Okolie vs. David Light odds and wagers here.

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About the Author

Anatoly Pimentel

Read More @AnatolyPimentel

Anatoly Pimentel is an NBA and MMA writer previously featured in ASEAN Sports, Asian Persuasion MMA, and Overtime Heroics MMA. He graduated from Adamson University with a B.A in Communication and is a Web Content Writer for BetMGM.

Anatoly Pimentel is an NBA and MMA writer previously featured in ASEAN Sports, Asian Persuasion MMA, and Overtime Heroics MMA. He graduated from Adamson University with a B.A in Communication and is a Web Content Writer for BetMGM.