Michael Conlan vs Jordan Gill fight breakdown
World title contender Michael Conlan (18-8, 9KO) returns to his home city against England’s Jordan Gill (27-2-1, 8KO) on Saturday, December 2, in Belfast, live on DAZN.
Despite both operating at featherweight their entire careers, this pair will clash over 12-rounds at super-featherweight.
When you look at these two on paper, it tells a far different story than in reality. Both boxers have suffered brutal knockouts, they are coming into this fight off the back of a loss, and neither have high KO ratios.
However, the truth is that they have operated on different levels and one is far above the other.
Conlan left the amateurs destined to fight for world titles and it’s surprising to most that he hasn’t won one yet. After winning gold at the Commonwealth Games, then European and World Championships, a bronze at London 2012 Olympics, everyone believed the Irish sensation would win the Rio 2016 Games, but he was famously and devastatingly cheated by the corrupt ringside judges after he convincingly defeated Russian Vladimir Nikitin.
The result was apalling and he was eliminated from the tournament at the quarterfinals stage, but not before he stood in the centre of the ring and gave each dishonest judge the middle finger – a shocking gesture that was overwhelmingly applauded by everyone. The judges were then all sent home.
So, after his dream of a gold medal was so cruelly stolen from him, his ambition to win a world title after two failed attempts must be stratospheric right now.
He came agonisingly close against Leigh Wood in 2022; up on the scorecards and heading towards a WBA world title in his first attempt until he was shockingly knocked out cold and sent tumbling out of the ring with 95 seconds to go.
Then the featherweight bounced back with a brace of wins to launch a fresh challenge for the IBF belt against Luis Alberto Lopez and was again knocked out, this time within five rounds.
Mick Conlan lost out on the Olympic gold, which was nefariously out of his hands, but winning a world title is something he can grasp with both hands and you can tell it’s his burning ambition to do so.
He has teamed up with trainer Pedro Diaz and moved himself out to America to bounce back better than ever. He yearns to learn and strives to improve. It seems like he will do whatever it takes to get to the top.
Gill is a different story, however. He is no longer training with Dave Coldwell and has moved back home to be trained by his father. He seems to have gone into his comfort zone while Conlan has taken himself out of his comfort zone for this fight.
There be some similarities between them, but their desire and ambition are worlds apart. Conlan is longing for another world title shot, which, after the WBA in 2022, then the IBF in 2023, he should likely get again in 2024.
Gill appears to be going for the payday in the twilight of his career rather than reaching for the stars, which could tell you everything you need to know about how this fight could go.
Betting Odds
1/8 Conlan
5/1 Gill
18/1 Draw
Predictions
Everyone automatically picked Conlan to become a world champion when he first turned pro in 2017, me included.
Although I still believe he can win a world title; at 32, after two failed attempts, he is probably in need of getting a wriggle-on to fulfil that destiny.
Against Gill, who has fought at European level but not at world, Conlan should be a level above him; not a huge gulf in levels, but enough to dictate and dominate this fight.
Conlan has knocked a lot of his opponents down, but not out cold, so he is a crafty puncher but not a concussive one. His shots come from awkward angles, they’re unseen and can knock you off balance when they catch you unawares. Wood didn't appear hurt by Conlan when he knocked him down, rather that he was stunned momentarily.
After a couple of brutal wars with Karim Guarfi and Kiko Martinez, Gill may not be the fighter he once was and it’s not hard to envisage a third loss ending with a third KO. Conlan could still be on the ascension, whereas all signs suggest that Gill is on the descension, unless he can pull a career-best win out the bag on Saturday night.
There could well be a knockdown or two in this fight, but I predict Conlan to win on points via unanimous decision.
