Will Felix "The Fighter" Sturm (37-3-2, 16 KO) get more than he bargains for in a tune-up bout against Predrag "Pedja" Radosevic (27-0, 9 KO) on Saturday in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany?
The 34-year-old former middleweight champion is looking for another run amongst the division's elite. He'll need to pass the test presented by the undefeated, but little-known 28-year-old from Montenegro.
This is a fight Sturm should win, but Thomas Oosthuizen's controversial draw with Brandon Gonzales on Saturday was recent proof that no fight is a gimme. Here's how you can watch Sturm-Radosevic.
| Date and Time | TV Coverage |
| Saturday, July 6 at 5:45 pm ET | Sat. 1 |
Here is a closer look at the matchup.
The Book on Sturm
Can The Fighter Still Compete With the Best at 160 Pounds?
Sturm has been in the ring with some of the best fighters of his era. He lost a unanimous decision to Oscar De La Hoya in 2004, in an instance of outright robbery. He's also defeated Matthew Macklin in another instance of thievery—yet this time in Sturm's favor.
He drew with Martin Murray and lost a close split decision to IBF middleweight champion Daniel Geale.
At 34 years old, the question for Sturm is can he compete with—and defeat—the likes of Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin?
Those two fighters represent the future of the division. Based on what we've seen recently from Sturm, Golovkin and Quillin, there would certainly be questions as to whether Sturm is on the other two fighter's level.
In the Ring
A stiff heavy jab sets up everything Sturm likes to do in the ring. When he's throwing it consistently, he's a difficult fighter to handle. He does struggle with fighters who have fast hands as they can expose his somewhat robotic style.
Controlling the tempo is essential for Sturm. When he does this he can wear his opponent's down, but it all starts with the effectiveness of his jab.
The Book on Radosevic
Taking a Major Step
Pedja has only had four fights in his career scheduled for longer than eight rounds. He's never faced a fighter anywhere near Sturm's stature.
This fight really represents a huge step up for him. The fact that it takes place in Sturm's home country of Germany makes earning a decision seem very far-fetched.
Since Radosevic has just nine KO in his career, a win for him seems nearly impossible.
In the Ring
After watching a few of Radosevic's fights online, its apparent he uses a wide stance and leans on the jab heavily. Take a look at this bout against Jozsef Matolcsi.
This is obviously not a bad strategy in most cases and it likely has a lot to do with Radosevic's undefeated record. However, in this matchup, Radosevic is tasked with trying to out-jab the jabber.
That represents an uphill battle because Sturm is bigger (5'11.5" to 5'10")more experienced and better with the punch.
Prediction
Sturm will dominate this fight with his jab and experience. Radosevic will be game, but overmatched and will likely be stopped between the sixth and eighth round.
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