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Joe Joyce vs Kash Ali tips and predictions: Joyce to be victorious
Read why our expert backs Joe Joyce to overcome Kash Ali tonight in a close heavyweight fight at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham
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We have three Joe Joyce vs Kash Ali tips for the heavyweight fight tonight at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham. Scroll down for the expert analysis behind his selections.
Joe Joyce vs Kash Ali betting tips
- Under 3.5 rounds @ 10/11 with BetMGM
- Joye Joyce to win in rounds 1-2 @ 5/2 with BetMGM
- Joe Joyce to win in round 2 @ 22/5 with BetMGM
Odds are correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
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Early finish on the cards
British heavyweight Joe Joyce is on the comeback trail this weekend as he returns to the ring against Kash Ali at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham.
Joyce will be fighting for the first time since his back-to-back defeats by Zhilei Zhang, while Ali also comes into the bout on the back of a loss on points against Bohdan Myronets in July 2023.
The world appeared to be Joyce’s oyster when he stopped former WBO champion Joseph Parker in September 2022. That victory gave the Briton a 15-0 record, with 14 wins, and earned him the WBO interim belt, making him the mandatory challenger for the world title.
Although a first world title shot looked to be a certainty for him, he opted to face China’s Zhilei Zhang while waiting for a chance to crop up and that move proved disastrous.
Zhang stopped Joyce in the sixth round in their first meeting and backed that up with a third-round KO in the rematch, leaving ‘the Juggernaut’ facing the prospect of a big rebuilding job if he is to work his way back into contention for a title fight.
His first step on the comeback trail is against a quality domestic operator in Ali and he needs to make a statement here if he is to return to world level.
Ali has been out of the ring since last July, when he was outpointed by Ukrainian Bohdan Myronets, and Joyce – depending on how he responds to those pair of defeats against Zhang – is potentially his toughest fight to date.
Joyce moved through the domestic ranks quickly in his early career and four of his first five wins came inside the first two rounds.
Ali is 21-2 with just one stoppage on his record but, if Joyce is able to impose himself on the fight quickly we could be in line for an early finish here, so the 10/11 on offer for under 3.5 rounds looks a solid option.
Tip: Under 3.5 rounds @ 10/11 with BetMGM
Go for Joyce inside two rounds
Backing under 3.5 rounds also covers the possibility that Ali can catch Joyce off guard early on, as it is always hard to judge exactly how a fighter will respond to such a damaging career setback.
However, the most likely outcome is clearly a Joyce win, given his greater experience and victories over a higher standard of opponent.
The value play looks to be backing Joyce to win in rounds 1-2 as five of his 14 stoppage wins have come in the opening two rounds.
Tip: Joye Joyce to win in rounds 1-2 @ 5/2 with BetMGM
Two good for single-round bettors
The shortest prices in the round-betting market are across the first three rounds and the 22/5 on offer for a second-round win for Joyce has a chance.
Ali is an experienced campaigner, even if his bouts have been at a lower level, and he will be well aware that he needs to avoid being drawn into trading with Joyce too early.
The 32-year-old may be able to make it through the first round but he is unlikely to get much further.
Tip: Joe Joyce to win in round 2 @ 22/5 with BetMGM
Joe Joyce vs Kash Ali odds
All odds are correct at the time of publication and subject to change.