Andrzej Fonfara vs. Doudou Ngumbu: Preview and Prediction for Upcoming Bout
Andrzej Fonfara nearly scored a monumental upset in May, taking WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson to the limit before dropping a spirited decision.
The 26-year-old Polish contender returns to the ring on Saturday night, taking on lightly regarded Doudou Ngumbu in a scheduled 10-round bout in Chicago.
Fonfara rallied from a first-round knockdown to drop Stevenson in Round 9, turning what was supposed to be a showcase fight for the champion into a war of attrition down the stretch. He's looking to get back on the winning track and stay in the mix at 175 pounds.
Ngumbu isn't well-known outside of France. He's spent the entirety of his professional career overseas and will be making his U.S. debut.
This is Fonfara's show for sure, but he needs to avoid a stumble to get back into the title picture.
Read on for your complete preview and prediction.
Tale of the Tape
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| Andrzej Fonfara | Doudou Ngumbu | |
| Record | 25-3, 15 KO | 33-5, 12 KO |
| Age | 26 | 32 |
| Height | 6'2.5" | 5'11" |
| Weight | 174.75 (last fight) | 174 (last fight) |
| Reach | 76" | Unlisted |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Hometown | Warsaw, Poland | Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Rounds | 129 | 247 |
| Last Fight | L UD 12 Adonis Stevenson (5/24/14) | UD 10 Johnny Muller (6/21/14) |
All stats and information per BoxRec.com.
Main Storylines
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Fonfara was considered a decent enough opponent for Stevenson in May, but it looked like he would get blasted out early. The 26-year-old Pole was felled in the opening round, but he rallied to settle the score late in the fight and make things very interesting.
He ultimately failed in his attempt to lift the lineal and become the WBC light heavyweight champion, but he clearly exceeded expectations and showed he could be a contender in a talented division.
Fonfara is a heavy favorite in this fight. He’s fighting at home and should win, but he can’t afford a hiccup.
Ngumbu is your prototypical opponent who has a decent record but hasn’t beaten anyone of real note or significance.
Notable names on his resume are few and far between, and the ones that you will recognize have all beaten him.
The chance to fight in the United States on a significant card is a big opportunity, but Ngumbu is definitely a big underdog.
Strengths
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Fonfara has good size and length for a light heavyweight.
He likes to work his way inside behind a solid jab, which he uses to set up his power shots. The straight right hand is his best weapon, and he has better power than you’d expect from someone with just 15 knockouts in 25 wins.
Fonfara is a boxer, and he’s more effective when he keeps his opponent outside of scoring range.
Ngumbu has a limited resume, but he has beaten former world-title challengers Vyacheslav Uzelkov and Aleksy Kuziemski.
He uses his jab to keep opponents at bay and has a very herky-jerky style that features a lot of upper-body movement to throw his foes off kilter.
Ngumbu is tremendously awkward, and he’s not easy to hit.
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Weaknesses
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Fonfara doesn’t really break the mold when it comes to his in-ring posture.
He fights straight up behind a high guard and is vulnerable to opponents who can really pressure him with big power shots that disrupt his guard.
Fonfara can struggle against fighters who give him angles and can move around the ring. Whether Ngumbu can successfully execute that type of game plan in this fight remains a question, but that’s his style.
Ngumbu hasn’t showed that he can compete on this level.
He doesn’t have much in the way of power, and his style is based on his ability to make things awkward and ugly.
Ngumbu has been handled pretty much every time he’s stepped up in class, and that’s because he doesn’t possess the skills to compete on a world-class level.
Andrzej Fonfara Will Win If...
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Fonfara is in something of a tricky position.
He’s coming off a better-than-expected performance against Stevenson that revived his hopes as a championship contender. That means he can’t afford a hiccup against an opponent that he’s supposed to beat and supposed to beat impressively.
Fonfara is a boxer who has good power that he sets up with a crisp, stiff jab.
Ngumbu is an awkward mover who doesn’t stand still much in the ring.
Fonfara will need to use his jab in order to force him him into situations where he can then unload with power shots, mainly his straight right hand.
The left-jab, straight-right combination will be the key.
If he can do that and solve the French-based fighter’s awkward angles, Fonfara should win this fight without a huge amount of difficulty.
Doudou Ngumbu
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Ngumbu needs to guard against Fonfara's power.
The Pole packs a good punch, and he can end the night with one big shot if he times it right.
Ngumbu is a tricky, awkward opponent in the ring. He doesn't have a ton of power of his own, and he's better suited presenting angles and frustrating Fonfara with his movement while popping him from the outside.
In short, he needs to stay away from big shots and make this an ugly, hard-to-score affair.
But he's the road fighter and an opponent, so that means he needs to leave no doubt in enough of the rounds to sway the judges.
And the Winner Will Be...
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Fonfara just has too much to lose in this spot.
He’s a better technical fighter, he’s stronger and he has much more on the line.
All of that will translate to a fight that begins awkward and ugly in the first couple of rounds before Fonfara figures out Ngumbu’s movement patterns and opens up his attack.
Once he does, Ngumbu won’t have the power on his shots to keep him honest, and he’ll begin walking him down, scoring with increasing frequency as each round passes.
Fonfara can be a contender, and this fight will just keep him busy and in the mix. He wins it by late stoppage or wide decision.
It will most likely be the latter.
Prediction: Fonfara UD 10 (98-92)
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