Gennadiy Golovkin vs. Kamil Szeremeta: Fight Odds, Live Stream and Prediction

After more than a year of waiting, Gennadiy Golovkin is finally set to defend his middleweight world title when he takes on Kamil Szeremeta on Friday night.

Golovkin holds the IBF belt after defeating Sergiy Derevyanchenko by unanimous decision last October. Fans will be watching closely to see how the 38-year-old's skills are holding up as he ages. If he still has some of the same flash and bite that made him a knockout king in his prime, then maybe a trilogy fight with Canelo Alvarez isn't such an unreasonable scenario in 2021. If he continues to show signs he's declining, like he did against Derevyanchenko, perhaps there won't be an appetite for a third chapter.

Friday's card in Florida will take place without fans in attendance due to coronavirus restrictions, so the only way to catch this one is at home. Here's how to watch.

Golovkin vs. Szeremeta Fight Info

When: Friday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET (main card)

Where: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida

Live stream: DAZN (subscription required, US and UK)

Odds: Golovkin -3335, Szeremeta +900 (via Draftkings Sportsbook)

Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs) is an overwhelming favorite against Szeremeta, a 31-year-old from Poland who has an undefeated record but hasn't fought anyone of note yet. He doesn't bring much power to the table, with just five knockouts in his career. He's going to have a very tough time convincing Golovkin not to stalk him all over the ring, and that doesn't leave Szeremeta with much room for error.

Szeremeta (21-0, 5 KOs) will have to hope Golovkin's abilities have eroded greatly in the 14 months since we last saw him in the ring. The Kazakh brawler's last fight was a brutal one. Derevyanchenko pushed him further than any other boxers, save for Alvarez and Danny Jacobs.

Golovkin scored a first-round knockdown in that bout, but "The Technician" was able to recover and had some excellent rounds going toe-to-toe with Golovkin, working combinations to both the head and body. From this pre-fight vantage point, it's hard to say whether it was lingering effects from the flu or age that made Golovkin look eminently beatable that night. Szeremeta will certainly be hoping it was the latter. 

Again, the long layoff forced by the coronavirus pandemic makes Golovkin something of a mystery coming into this bout, but rest assured, he hasn't been slacking off. With a championship to defend, Golovkin has worked hard to remain in top shape, taking trips up to mountains of Big Bear, California, to workout with trainer Johnathon Banks, per BoxingScene.com's Thomas Gerbasi.

"I believe the secret is in your faith in what you do," said Golovkin, per Gerbasi. "And speaking about the discipline, I believe that the discipline is essential to achieve what you're trying to achieve."

A disciplined, in-shape, and sharp Golovkin is a nightmare for Szeremeta. This fight could end up being a quick one, like the bout against Steve Rolls in June 2019, which saw the middleweight slugger rebound from his loss to Alvarez with a brutal fourth-round stoppage. 

It's also in Golovkin's best interest to make quick work of Szeremeta and show that he's still a force at middleweight. It could tempt Alvarez to return from his foray into the super middleweight ranks, where he's currently set to face Callum Smith in a title fight on Saturday night.

Golovkin is running out of time to get a third crack at Alvarez, or set up any other big fight at middleweight for that matter (Jermall Charlo, anyone?). Don't expect him to waste too much of it against Szeremeta on Friday.

Prediction: Golovkin wins via early KO

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