Gervonta Davis vs. Rolando Romero prediction, full fight preview

A long-standing digital duel goes analog this evening (Sat., May 28, 2022) when Gervonta “Tank” Davis squares off with fellow Lightweight unbeaten Rolando “Rolly” Romero inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s main card right here. The Showtime pay-per-view (PPV) broadcast will kickoff at 9 p.m. ET, with Davis and Romero likely to make the walk closer to midnight.

The card will also see Erislandy Lara defend his secondary Middleweight title against the grievously out-classed Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan, Luke Santamaria look to score a third consecutive upset over rising Super Welterweight prospect Jesus Ramos, and Eduardo Ramirez square off with Luis Melendez in an intriguing Super Featherweight scrap.

It’s all about the main event, though, and we’ve broken it down for you below:

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

Gervonta “Tank” Davis

Age: 27
Record: 26-0 (24 KO)
Last Five Fights: Isaac Cruz (UD), Mario Barrios (TKO-11), Leo Santa Cruz (KO-6), Yuriorkis Gamboa (TKO-12), Ricardo Nunez (TKO-2)
Significant Victories (other than those mentioned above): Jesus Cuellar, Jose Pedraza

Rolando Romero v Anthony Yigit

Photo by Edward A. Ornelas/Getty Images

Rolando “Rolly” Romero

Age: 26
Record: 14-0 (12 KO)
Last Five Fights: Anthony Yigit (TKO-7), Avery Sparrow (TKO-7), Jackson Marinez (UD-12), Arturs Ahmetovs (TKO-2), Juan Carlos Cordones (KO-1)
Significant Victories (other than those mentioned above): None


Besides his decent one-shot power, Romero’s purported best asset in this fight is his “awkwardness.” Unfortunately for him, it’s the sort of “awkwardness” that Joe Rogan and Co. refer to when trying to find something nice to say about incompetent strikers. He stands straight up, never brings his hands above his shoulders, drops his opposite hand to his waist when throwing, and is as flat-footed as they come.

The thing about being “awkward” is that you have to actually understand the fundamentals. Eschewing a traditional approach will always have pros and cons. Indeed, you need to know why the standard style is the standard style to mold it to your liking and maximize the benefits. Romero’s purported awkwardness is just a lack of polish, as those shortcomings don’t have commensurate benefits.

This is all a very long-winded way of saying Davis is going to beat his but. “Tank” legitimately boasts “F**k You” power. And even if you argue that Leo Santa Cruz’s lack of size made Davis’ one-hitter quitter less impressive, Davis brutalized the massive Barrios, who moved up to 147 pounds afterward and stayed on his feet for 12 rounds against Keith Thurman.

And he’s going to have many opportunities to use that power here. It may take him a round or two to get used to Romero’s antics, but once he does, goodnight.

Prediction: Davis def. Romero via third-round knockout


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