Sergey Kovalev vs. Ismayl Sillakh: Preview and Prediction for Title Bout

This Saturday night in Quebec City, Quebec, WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev makes his first title defense against Ismayl Sillakh. This fight will be part of an HBO broadcast showcasing the 175-pound division, as WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson meets Tony Bellew in the main event.

Light heavyweight is seldom viewed as a glamor division, but Kovalev and Stevenson have brought it to the forefront this year by virtue of winning their belts via brutal stoppages. HBO should end up with two exciting title fights on Saturday night and hopefully the winners will face off early in 2014.

Sergey Kovalev has been a one-man wrecking ball as a professional. He's knocked out 20 of 23 opponents. His draw was a two-round technical draw and his two decisions happened years ago in six- and eight-round fights.

Ismayl Sillakh has good height and length for a light heavyweight and a pretty good KO percentage of his own. While Sillakh and Kovalev are both living and training in the United States now, they are natives of the Ukraine and Russia, respectively.

Sergey Kovalev's dominant run to the top of the light heavyweight division has been one of boxing's breakout stories in 2013. In January he beat former world champion Gabriel Campillo by Round 3 TKO. He scored another Round 3 TKO over Cornelius White in June.   

In August Kovalev went on the road to Wales, to face WBO champion Nathan Cleverly. A significant portion of the boxing media picked Cleverly to outbox Kovalev in that fight, but the Russian Destroyer marched to victory with as much ease as ever, smashing Cleverly by Round 4 TKO.

Kovalev looks like he could be a big star. He is a methodical and relentless puncher. He cuts the ring off on good boxers and chops them down like hapless oaks.

Ismayl Sillakh is one of the more talented light heavyweight boxers on the scene and he can punch a little, too. He stumbled in April 2012 against Denis Grachev, losing by Round 8 TKO. An upset win here would rocket him to the top of the rankings. 

Sergey Kovalev is a methodical destroyer. He is a very strong light heavyweight with good offensive footwork and he is exceptional at cutting off a ring. 

Few fighters in the sport today can stalk and trap opponents like Kovalev does. At times his opponents have appeared visibly shocked when encountering his power for the first time.

Ismayl Sillakh is a talented boxer. He fights well backing up behind his jab and has a nice counter left hook.

Sillakh has solid punching power. He knows how to take advantage when an opponent is in trouble.   

Sergey Kovalev has shown little in the way of weakness so far during his professional career. But he does put himself in position to be hit and perhaps his single-minded focus could be finessed by a very good technical boxer. 

In 2010 Kovalev did manage just a split-decision victory over journeyman Darnell Boone. Boone's record dips below .500 on occasion, but he's turned in some surprising performances. Among his victories are Adonis Stevenson and blue-chip prospect Willie Munroe Jr. 

Ismayl Sillakh got caught with a big right hand against Denis Grachev in Round 8 of their April 2012 meeting and reacted disastrously. Sillakh failed to clinch and Grachev finished him easily. 

If Sillakh couldn't withstand Denis Grachev's pressure, he might be in for a very long night against Kovalev. 

This has been a big year for Sergey Kovalev and he has an opportunity to finish it off in style on Saturday night. A typical performance from Kovalev in Quebec City will make sure boxing fans end the year with his image fresh in their memories.

So the main thing I think he needs to do in this fight is remain patient and not press too hard, too soon. Sillakh has a good counter left hook and Kovalev needs to avoid walking into it.

But Kovalev has always been a patient destroyer and I expect him to be again against Sillakh on Saturday. He'll cut off the ring and jab his way into position to hammer Sillakh's body.

If Kovalev merely stays within himself and avoids walking into any big punches, he'll be able to methodically cut Sillakh down.

Ismayl Sillakh is going to need to get behind his jab and use a lot of movement against Sergey Kovalev. He's going to need to circle back and to his left, to take away Kovalev's left hook to the body. 

Sillakh has to circle to Kovalev's left and come over the top with his own lead hook. Sillakh's cardio better be 100 percent coming into this fight, because he's going to have to keep moving away and to the outside on Kovalev, in order to have any hope of neutralizing his ferocious attack.

The toughest battle of all for Sillakh in this fight will be the mental battle to remain entirely focused. A lapse in attention against Kovalev can be the split second the Russian needs to land a monster punch.  

Ismayl Sillakh should be another relatively easy fight for Sergey Kovalev. Sillakh will be one of his better opponents. The Ukrainian can box and he's got some power. 

Sillakh would have probably been a competitive fight with Nathan Cleverly. I'd definitely pick him to beat Gabriel Campillo by stoppage.

But Kovalev should be able to walk him down and pound on him until his body quits. It's been a successful formula against nearly everybody Kovalev has fought.

Sillakh might be able to use enough movement and counter punching to extend this fight out into the middle rounds. But Kovalev will remain patient and keep pounding away at him. 

By Round 6, Kovalev will have Sillakh just about ready to finish off. Sillakh will last a round beyond that, losing by Round 7 TKO. 

Hopefully Kovalev will meet the winner of Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew in a unification bout in early 2014.