Michael Conlan vs Asad Asif Khan Preview
Michael Conlan will attempt to resurrect his career this weekend. The popular Irishman will face India’s Asad Asif Khan at Brighton Centre in Brighton on Friday, March 7th. It’s a massive bout for Conlan, whose future is on the line.
Conlan enters this match on a two-fight skid but will be a heavy favourite. Khan is a relatively unknown opponent but should enjoy a contest without much pressure. There’s an enormous weight on Conlan’s shoulders, but a convincing win would lift it. Khan would love to shock the world and will have a solid game plan.
Michael Conlan vs Asad Asif Khan Key Stats And Head-To-Head
Mick Conlan is one of Ireland’s favourite boxers. He won a bronze medal at the London Olympics before he became a world champion at the amateur level. Notoriously, the judges robbed him at the Rio games before he turned professional. There were high hopes for him as a potential world title holder, but it hasn’t gone to plan.
Conlan has an 18-3 record and enters this bout after two consecutive defeats. All three of his losses came by KO. His most recent defeat against Jordan Gill was a major upset and left his career on the ropes. Conlan showed flashes of his skills against Gill. But the Englishman dropped him in the second with a brutal left hook.
‘Mick’ recovered and showed composure as the men went back and forth. Ultimately, Gill finished Conlan in the seventh with another thunderous right hand before a flurry of punches. The referee saw enough and stopped it with a minute to go in the round. Gill is a friend and training partner of Leigh Wood who also knocked out Conlan.
…@_JordanGill stopped Michael Conlan in front of a packed-out @SSEBelfastArena 14 months ago
Back to Belfast for #CrockerDonovan on March 1, Live on DAZN pic.twitter.com/rGrjhvhKFG
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) February 2, 2025
Asad Asif Khan enters this fight with a 19-5-1 record. The Calcutta native is enjoying a four-fight win streak but remains relatively unknown. His last victory was over Tanzania’s Emmanuel Amos. Arguably, his only previous elite opponent was China’s Can Xu, a former WBA featherweight champion. Xu won that match via fifth-round KO.
Conlan has nine knockout victories and a 50% KO rate. This is far superior to Khan’s five finishes. However, only two of Khan’s five defeats were knockouts, so he may have a strong chin. Both men primarily fight out of orthodox stances, but Conlan swapped to southpaw at times against Gill. Conlan is one centimetre taller than Khan and has a four-inch reach advantage.
Michael Conlan vs Asad Asif Khan Predictions
Predicted Outcome: Michael Conlan to win by TKO.
Looking at the boxing markets, Michael Conlan is a massive favourite to win this match. On paper, this is a tremendous step up in class for Khan. However, it’s also an incredible opportunity for the Indian who people think Conlan will walk through. This is a fight to get Conlan back to winning ways.
Conlan signed with Kalle Sauerland’s Wasserman Boxing agency after leaving Eddie Hearn. The 33-year-old knows that time isn’t on his side as he makes a final title push. Sauerland booked what should be a straightforward bout for the latest addition to his stable. He wants to raise the confidence of his fighter with a straightforward victory.
Our boxing prediction is that Conlan will enjoy a comfortable win over Khan. We think he has too much skill for the Indian boxer to trouble him. He may start slowly to get a few rounds under his belt for the first time in 13 months. But we expect him to step up in the third or fourth round.
Conlan’s chin is one of the biggest talking points entering this bout. Many analysts believe he lacks the durability to compete with top boxers. Khan’s finishing rate and overall record suggest Sauerland handpicked him for this match. Also, the fight is in Brighton on the undercard of Harlem Eubank vs Tyrone McKenna, which further takes the focus off him. Five of his last six matches were in Belfast.
It would be a significant disappointment if Conlan doesn’t win this match convincingly. He believes he will knock Khan out and he should. Critics questioned his mindset because he admitted he considered retirement. There may be tougher fights on the horizon, but this is one that he should win comfortably.
“It’s the only reason I’m still boxing”
Michael Conlan pic.twitter.com/XFCcLwtmI4— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) January 5, 2025
Khan’s best hope of an upset is to start fast and follow Leigh Wood’s advice to Gil. Conlan has shown defensive vulnerabilities before, so the Indian boxer must try to put him under severe pressure. He risks Conlan countering him, but we can’t see him outclassing the former Olympian in any other way.
Don’t forget to check out the live betting odds throughout this match. One early knockdown or hard punch could change everything. Players can react to ongoing events in real-time to maximise their potential returns. Khan is the underdog now but that could change if he drops Conlan in the early rounds!
Michael Conlan vs Asad Asif Khan Betting Tips
Conlan is a huge favourite to win this fight on our sports betting site. There’s no value in backing him to win this one outright. It’s 1/16 for him to defeat Khan and earn his first win in three fights. This means that a successful €10 stake would only make €0.63. This is pointless, especially since we don’t know which version of Conlan will show up.
Another option is to back Khan to win this match. He’s a 17/2 underdog, so the oddsmakers aren’t giving him a chance. The same €10 stake would yield a massive €85 profit, so it’s tempting to apply our welcome bonus or a promotion. However, we don’t recommend making this bet with real money.
It can be tricky to find value when the odds are so wide. Luckily, betting on boxing offers many other markets. We suggest picking the method of victory. We predicted that Conlan would win by KO/TKO. This is the most likely outcome of the fight because of his superior skill and experience against high-level opponents.
If you want to make a wildcard bet, you could also pick Khan to win by KO/TKO. We don’t see him outpointing Conlan for a decision victory. It’s way more lucrative to back him for the finish, so why not go the whole way if you’re picking him to win?
Michael Conlan defeats Karim Guerfi in the 1st round pic.twitter.com/5UQgXigTcO
— Scott (@CxKlak) December 10, 2022
Players can also choose grouped-round betting or the individual round when they think the fight will end. We believe this will be an early night for Khan. The bout will probably finish between rounds five and seven. Conlan’s hand speed and slick combinations should be too much for his less experienced foe. Alternatively, make an over-under bet on how long this fight will last.
However, if you’re backing Khan, we’d pick him to win in rounds one to three. He must put Conlan under severe pressure and try to land damage on his opponent. Conlan says he’s been working on his defence with his new trainer, Grant Smith, at Steel City Gym in Sheffield. Conlan joined Smith because of his elite stable of fighters.
There’s plenty more boxing action this weekend. Harlem Eubank faces Tyrone McKenna in the main event. The pair will battle for the vacant IBF Intercontinental welterweight title. Eubank starts as a favourite over Northern Ireland’s McKenna. Why not create an accumulator with the best matchups from this card?
Michael Conlan vs Asad Asif Khan Outcome
Conlan will have any opportunities if he passes this test with flying colours. A clash with Josh Warrington would be a massive event in Leeds or Belfast. Like Conlan, the former two-time IBF featherweight champion has a huge fanbase. He’s currently on a three-fight skid, so this could be a natural progression for Conlan.
Rematches with Jordan Gill or Leigh Wood could also be on the cards. Gill lost his most recent bout against Zelfa Barrett. Meanwhile, Wood retained his WBA featherweight title against Warrington in 2023 but hasn’t fought since. Stephen Fulton and Mauricio Lara are two other dangerous options for Conlan if he wants to jump in the deep end.
Conlan will almost certainly retire if Khan defeats him. A victory over the Irishman would be life-changing for Khan, who may enjoy further opportunities in Europe. Conlan is determined to prevent Khan from making a name for himself in Brighton.
