Boxing experts give their predictions for the Lee McGregor vs Kash Farooq fight
Commonwealth bantamweight king Lee McGregor (7-0, 6 KOs) and British champion Kash Farooq 13-0, 6 KOs) collide in all-Scottish clash which will see both unbeaten talents put their titles on the line.
'Lightning' Lee and 'Untouchable' Farooq are all set to lock horns at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena on November 16 on an #MTKFightNight event, which will surely be Scottish boxing’s biggest night for more than a decade. The battle of the unbeaten champions will be streamed live on ESPN+ in the United States in association with Top Rank and on iFL TV worldwide.
BBN asked their panel of experts for their professional opinion on the top title fight between McGregor and Farooq:
Monty Ogilvie
Scottis Area title contender
"Love this fight!
I've sparred both guys and I still can't decide. I think Lee is the favourite and rightly so. But Kash lives the life and is very unemotional and clinical. I think that may pay dividends.
But, honestly I can't pick!"
Ryan Walsh
British featherweight champion
"Cracking fight and I love a domestic fight between unbeaten fighters. Great for boxing!
I’m going with Lee McGregor, the more rounded fighter, also in a gym that’s thriving at the moment. Being in and around world class boxers has to give him a slight edge. In fights like this, it’s the small things that can really make a huge difference."
Mick Kane
Boxing Writer
"This is a fight I can't wait for. A derby between east and west of Scotland. I've covered a few of Kash Farooq's recent fights and he has been getting better each time. Both fighters have experience of the Emirates Arena so shouldn't be fazed walking out, Kash beat an experienced Iain Butcher by unanimous decision and probably won every round Lee stopped a game Scott Allan.
I spoke with Kash last week and he has a steely determination about him that makes me think he is going to do it. McGregor is taller and come fight night may be the heavier out of the pair however he had the same advantages over Allan who was able to cause some problems at times. With both being undefeated and both feeling they can win it should be a cracker and be a great advert for Scottish boxing.
Both are yound enough and good enough to get their careers back on track should they get beat but a fight like this will do them the world of good. I'm going Kash Farooq by a stoppage around round 9, body shot. Although as a Glaswegian I may be biased."
Tim Rickson
Sports Agent
"First of all, what a great thing it is for these two top talents, both unbeaten, both champions, to put it all on the line so early on in their careers. This is what boxing should always be about, but kudos to them both. This will be one of the biggest nights for Scottish boxing ever!
A significant shared opponent is Scott Allan, who both McGregor and Farooq stopped in the eighth round of their title fights. The only other common opponent is Brett Fidoe, who is better than his journeyman record suggests, and again both Lee and Kash scored similar results with points wins against him.
Farooq is more experienced in the pro's with 13 bouts, almost double Lee's, and his last four fights have been British championship bouts against opponents with a record of 50-6. He managed to win the British bantamweight belt and defend it three times to own it outright, all within a year, which is highly impressive.
Personally, I can see McGregor being the aggressor and the more dominant force in the fight, with Farooq boxing on the backfoot and keeping on his toes. I could be wrong of course, but I can see McGregor taking command of the centre of the ring and taking the fight to Farooq.
They are just so hard to split, so it comes down to gut feeling and my gut says McGregor on points."