Lucian Bute Defends IBF Super Middleweight Title Saturday Night on Showtime
By Geno McGahee
The crowded super middleweight division has several fighters vying for the distinction of the best 168 pounder. Leading the pack is IBF Kingpin, Lucian Bute, 27-0, 22 KO’s, a southpaw out of Canada that has grown a legion of followers and has not disappointed them.
Working outside of the Super Six Super Middleweight tournament, Bute has feasted on the scraps, destroying Librado Andrade in four rounds, settling the score with the power-puncher after a controversial win just a year before. Edison Miranda fell in three and Jesse Brinkley in nine and the opponent this Saturday is the unknown Brian Magee, 34-3-1, 24 KO’s.
Magee has put together a record of 9-0-1, 5 KO’s, in his last ten fights and comes into the bout with a lot of ambition, not planning on just being an opponent, but Bute is one of the top pound for pound fighters in the game and it should be interesting to see how he copes with the overall talent of the defending champion.
Carl Froch knocked Magee cold in the 11th round in 2006, but it should be noted that Magee fought an even fight up to that point. Froch is not nearly the technician that Bute is, so the road is much tougher for the challenger but he will be game. Bute is the favorite to win.