After a muted Christmas and New Year – ignoring Floyd Mayweather’s return against a Japanese kick-boxer in a three-round exhibition fight – the boxing action returns thick and fast this January with the IBF super-middleweight world title up for grabs this Saturday night in California.

Venezula’s dangerous and avoided Jose Uzcategui defends his 168-pounds gold at the Microsoft Theater against American Caleb Plant, in the first meaningful fight of 2019.

Winning the IBF gold after Britain’s James DeGale vacated the belt last year, the 28-year-old is making his first defence of the title after enduring a topsy-turvy couple of years in the ring. A loss to Matt Korobov dented Uzcategui’s progress towards a world crown in 2014, with a DQ loss to Andre Dirrell in 2017 looking to further derail his career just as he was on the brink of honours. A rematch settled the score as he forced Dirrell to quit in round eight in New York.

Caleb Plant is ranked number two in the IBF and is currently unbeaten after 17 contests. Wins against Rogelio Medina and Andrew Hernandez stand out on the 26-year-olds record, and he’ll arrive in Los Angeles in the belief that it is his time to become world champion.

Plant has just ten KO wins on his record with his nickname “Sweet Hands” a sign of the tactics he is likely to use against the dangerous champion. Plant is unlikely to engage; unlikely to stand and trade with the Venezuelan. Uzcategui has 23 KO wins on his record and will headhunt the challenger early in the fight, looking to cut the ring off at the earliest opportunity.

If Plant can use his jab and use the distance well, there is a chance he can use the ring to his advantage and begin to frustrate the champion with his work rate.

It’s been said many times, but styles make fights. This looks like a classic case of a puncher vs. a boxer. Uzcategui is the rightful favourite at 2/5, however, if Plant can box clever there is a chance he can win this one on the cards.

Jose Uzcategui to beat Caleb Plant @ 2/5

Uzcategui is used to having to provide the pressure in a fight. He’s able to cut off the ring well and use his footwork to good use; Plant is still very inexperienced at the top level and is unlikely to be able to frustrate the champion for twelve rounds.

Little value can be found on the undercard in the return of Cuban legend Guillermo Rigondeaux. “El Chacal” is 1/100 on to win his fight against Giovanni Delgado having not boxed since a loss to Lomachenko in New York last December.

Check out the Hottest Boxing Odds now at BigBetBookmaker’s BIGGEST BETS OF THE DAY & BIG LIVE BETS NOW!