The X Factor: Lost amidst the usual conspiracy theories surrounding Filipovic’s rapid downfall is the fact that he’s a 34 year old man whose spent over 15 years competing in fight sports of some form or another. That is a massive physical toll on an already undersized heavyweight. If Filipovic has exhausted all the athletic greatness his genes could give him, this may be the last time anyone bothers to give him a second look.
The Bottom Line: This match has upset written all over it but, I can’t help but pick Filipovic. All he really needs to do is avoid a takedown or two and throw more than one strike every other minute. That’s always been the key to Filipovic’s game and while no one should be expecting anything that approaches the Croatian’s past self, he still has enough left in the tank to take out middling heavyweights like Al Turk. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to prepare myself for an inbox full of angry Duran Duran fans.