Hathaway the main favourite of Tipsport Gamechanger, Kertész the black horse. What are Kozma’s chances?

Favourites

It is very difficult for fans and tipsters to guess who can actually win the whole project. According to the bookmakers, John Hathaway is the biggest favourite and it makes sense, but there is a catch. He could leave the pyramid at any time for a UFC call-up.

And that’s not all. After an eight-year hiatus, he’s only had one fight so far. Now he’ll have to take four fights in one year. On top of that, he’ll be tested in the first round by the unpleasant Máté Kertész, who undoubtedly has the skills to keep him off his game and thus in control on the ground.

Another problem with the guessing game is the fact that there is no spider, so we can’t play with a clear plan of who can run into whom at what stage. And since each fighter has a specific style and what applies to one may not apply to the other, guessing is a bit more difficult.

Other big favorites, however, include David Kozma, Louis Glismann, Leandro Silva and Bojan Velickovic. They all fit the main project partner with odds under 10.00.

Who will be the dark horse?

There have been multiple favorites named for the win, but there is only one dark horse. If you count the odds of him winning the tournament, it’s more than 20.00. None of the fighters listed at lower odds are without a chance.

However, surprisingly high odds are written on Máté Kertész. This is understandable considering that he is facing a huge favorite in the very first round, but for bettors, a wager on him to win is the perfect opportunity. Even with a minimal stake, there is good money to be won if successful.

After all, the odds of 35.00 are not low at all. And if there’s one fighter in the pyramid whose style can apply to all, it’s Kertész. He’s got great wrestling, he can take a lot, great cardio, he can dish out the punches, he’s strong-willed, nothing will faze him.

He’s complex, he can control a fight without getting hurt. He definitely can’t be written off. He can fight anyone. If he beats Hathaway, he’ll go far in the tournament.

What are Kozma’s chances?

The Pink Panther is one of the biggest favorites, which is no surprise. But are his chances really that great? Of course they are, however, one must also question. Kozma has nothing to prove anymore, he has shown he can beat anyone. But…

It won’t be a five-round fight, which could be a big disadvantage for the former welterweight champion. Plus, there will be technically better and more talented fighters in the pyramid, which combined with only three rounds may not be ideal for Kozma.

Moreover, if we think back to his fights with Velickovic, Apollo and Brit, i.e. world class fighters, we can’t forget how they all managed to get him in trouble and how they troubled him.

Kozma can take a lot, but he’s definitely not going to have it easy here. He has the first round to get going and he can’t underestimate that either.

With the way the former welterweight king has been doing in his last few fights, there are understandable concerns that medically he can handle the whole pyramid and be able to take all the fights, if he wins, without too many restrictions.

Let’s hope, however, that the only home representative makes it as far as possible. Ideally to 300,000 euros.

1st round program

As mentioned, all the pairings for Round 1 have already been selected. So we know the schedule for the tournament in Ostrava and we can speculate who will go next.

Matches

David Kozma vs. Lukasz Siwiec
Samuel Krištofič vs. Alex Lohoré
Máté Kertész vs. John Hathaway
Christian Eckerlin vs. Melvin Van Suijdam
Bojan Velickovic vs. Ion Surdu
Christian Jungwirth vs. Tato Primera
Leandro Silva vs. Andreas Michailidis
Louis Glismann vs. Amiran Gogoladze

Predictions

Kozma vs. Siwiec

All the fights have a favorite. However, it can’t be said that anything should be outright clear-cut. Not even for example in the case of David Kozma, who will be challenged by Lukasz Siwiec. Of course Kozma is more experienced and should win, but the Pole with a record of 8-1 is not an opponent to underestimate.

Kozma should make it through the first round. However, he must be cautious. Siwiec is no pushover. On the contrary. He’s more of a sword of Damocles. The Polish fighter is also very dangerous on the ground and not once has his fight lasted the full three rounds.

Kristofich vs. Lohoré

A fight between two rebels, two men that are hard to stop before the limit. A lot will depend on the head. Lohoré is very moody, which the Pirate can use perfectly. He’s famous for his fouls, he can get under his opponent’s skin.

Lohoré is the favorite. His strength, maybe even his weight, may play in his favor. You’d think he’d be a little more complex. Anyway, both of them have great physiques and it’s possible that this will be a not very attractive fight. It depends on how both fighters approach it.

Considering the way Kristofich can get into anyone’s head, he could surprise and come out of the fight as the winner.

Kertész vs. Hathaway

A fight that has been mentioned before. The winner could go very far in the whole pyramid, if not to the very top. Hathaway has tremendous qualities, he was one of the world’s top fighters, but the long layoff could have a big impact on him. Kertész is the first sharp test for him on his return.

And if anyone in the pyramid has the ground skills to challenge Hathaway, it’s Kertész. He’s also had camps at AKA Gym, led by Khabib Nurmagomedov. He’s got great wrestling, he’s not afraid of stand-up shootouts, he’s got a hard jab, a hard chin, almost inexhaustible cardio.

He can make Hathaway’s whole fight look bad. So we’ll see how the fight turns out. However, we can expect the winner to be determined by the judges’ scorecards. We can talk about this fight as a black horse versus the biggest favorite.

Eckerlin vs. Van Suijdam

Eckerlin is sovereignly the biggest German star in terms of popularity, but there are doubts about his qualities, especially in our country. However, there are also doubts about the qualities of his opponent.

Van Suijdam has been perceived as a clear outsider since his participation was announced. According to some, Eckerlin is a downright giveaway, but it won’t be that easy for the German fighter. The Dutchman is experienced, he’ll want to prove himself. But Eckerlin will want to confirm his role as the favorite.

Bojan Velickovic vs. Ion Surdu

An attractive fight between two men who overwhelmingly win their fights before the limit. While Velickovic can be seen as a UFC veteran and a complete fighter, the younger Surdu has almost his entire career ahead of him and is a pure “knockout artist”.

Because of his experience, Velickovic is a big favorite. After all, he’s had much bigger and tougher battles. But he’s not unstoppable, although he can take a lot. The Serb should win, but a surprise is not out of the question.

Jungwirth vs. Primera

Attractive fight. The heartthrob vs. the technician. Jungwirth has long won the hearts of the Czech fans, he takes any challenge and puts on an attractive fight. No matter who he fights. However, the bigger scalps are on Primera’s record. As well as bigger challenges.

A lot will depend on how Primera sets his mind to the fight. Jungwirth is the favorite according to the odds, but in terms of quality, Primera certainly shouldn’t be too far behind. He has lost three of his last four matches. He will certainly want to improve his taste and his score. We can expect the match to end on points.

Silva vs. Michailidis

Two veteran UFC fighters, with Michailidis in his penultimate fight not being able to keep up with Alex Pereira, the current UFC middleweight champion. Apollo is seen as a slight favorite and it’s clear to see why.

He’s technically perfect, he’s good on the ground, he has incredible vision, a great eye. In terms of qualities, he should have the upper hand. He’s a showman, but he lacks drive. However, he’s never been finished before the limit, while Michailidis doesn’t exactly have the hardest chin.

Apollo should see the fight out, but it won’t be easy.

Glismann vs. Gogoladze

Unfamiliar names to most fans, but these are definitely not low quality fighters. On the contrary. A clash of two different styles. The winner certainly has a great chance to go far in the pyramid.

While Glismann is excellent on the ground, having held a black belt in BJJ among other things, Gogoladze is excellent at finishing in the standup. However, he’s Georgian, so don’t count on him not being able to do anything on the ground.

It’s worth noting that Gogoladze has finished 10 of his 12 wins in the 1st round, eight of which didn’t even need 100 seconds. Glismann has only been in the third round twice and is the favorite in this fight. The surest bet, however, is that the fight will definitely not end on points.