Badou Jack vs Noel Mikaelyan Preview May 3rd, 2025
WBC Cruiserweight Champion Badou Jack of Sweden defends his crown for the first time when he takes on Noel Mikaelyan of Armenia in Saudi Arabia this Saturday, May 3rd. Jack, a former world super middleweight and light heavyweight champion, last boxed in February, 2023 when he stopped Ilunga Makabu in the 12th round to win the WBC Belt. Mikaelyan has also been out of the ring for a while as he hasn’t fought since November, 2023 when he stopped the same Ilunga Makabu in the third round for what was supposedly the vacant WBC Title. The title was considered vacant as Jack was declared champion in recess as he wanted to challenge for the WBC Bridgerweight Title. Those pans fell through though and Jack was reinstated as the WBC Cruiserweight Champion in December 2024. This weekend’s bout can be seen live on pay-per-view on DAZN in most nations on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull event.
Jack vs Mikaelyan Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Badou Jack +120
- Noel Mikaelyan -150
My Pick
The 41-year-old Jack now fights out of Dubai via Las Vegas and owns a record of 28-3-3 with 17 Ko’s. He’s a former WBC Super Middleweight Titleholder who then won the WBA Light Heavyweight Title by stopping Nathan Cleverly in the fifth round in August, 2017. Jack possesses a good jab, decent and underrated power and is a good counterpuncher. He’s not a spectacular boxer, but is a very solid one.
His first defeat came at the hands of Derek Edwards via a first-round stoppage in February, 2014 and he didn’t taste defeat again until January, 2019 when he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Marcus Browne for the interim WBA and vacant WBC Silver Light-heavyweight Titles. He then dropped a controversial decision to Jean Pascal in his very next fight 11 months later. He’s now won seven of his last 11 fights, including six in a row, with two defeats and two draws.
Jack fought to a majority draw with Adonis Stevenson in a shot at the WBC Light Heavyweight Crown in May, 2018 and also drew with James DeGale over 12 rounds in January, 2017 in an IBF and WBC Super Middleweight Title tilt. The other draw was a 10-round affair with Marco Antonio Periban in September, 2013. Meanwhile, Jack’s biggest career victories have been over Makabu, Cleverly, George Groves, Lucian Bute, Anthony Dirrell and Rogelio Medina.
Jack measures 6-feet-1-inch tall with a 73-inch reach and is a former Olympian who has boxed 220 rounds since making his pro debut back in 2009. He took up boxing in 2001 as an 18-year-old and went reportedly went 150-34 as an amateur and captured Sweden’s National Championship five years straight between 2004 and 2008. However he represented Gambia as a middleweight at the 2008 Olympic Games and was his nation’s flag bearer. Jack has a solid chin, plenty of heart and has good power as 60.7 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage including four of his last six.
Mikaelyan, who is also known as Noel Gevor and Norair Mikaeljan, fights out of Germany and is 34 years old with a mark of 27-2 with 12 Ko’s. He’s been a pro since 2011 and has 197 rounds of experience to his name since then. He stands just over 6-feet-3-inches tall with a 75-inch reach so has a 1.5-inch edge in height over Jack and a two-inch reach advantage. He’s not the heaviest hitter in the cruiserweight division as just 44.4 per cent of his victories have come by stoppage. He’s been the distance in nine of his last 11 fights and has stopped just three opponents in the past 14.
Mikaelyn’s first loss as a pro came against Krzysztof Wlodarczyk via a 12-round split decision in May, 2017 with his second loss being to Mairis Briedis in November, 2018 by 12-round unanimous decision in a shot at the vacant WBC Diamond Cruiserweight Belt. His biggest victories have come over boxers such as Makabu, Youri Kayembre Kalenga, Isiah Thomas, Stephen Simmons, Valery Brudov, Mohamed Azzaoui, Ismail Abdoul, Tamas Lodi and Tamas Polster.
As we can see, Mikaelyn hasn’t exactly been taken on the cream of the crop in the cruiserweight division. He’s a solid enough boxer though and stopped Jesse Bryan in the fourth round for the vacant WBC International Cruiserweight Title in 2020 and his 10-round unanimous decision win over Daniel Alejandro Sanabria in 2015 was for the vacant WBO International Cruiserweight Title, which he then defended three times.
Prediction……
This bout features two boxers who have been inactive since 2023 and who are no spring chickens as Jack is now 41 and Mikaelyn is 34. Mikaelyn has lost just twice as a pro and has never been stopped so Jack may need to go the distance here. Jack has definitely faced stiffer opposition as a pro but he’s going to have to let his hands on Saturday rather than being economical with his punch output. He has the better overall boxing skills and as long as his chin holds up, I think he should be able to do just enough to hang onto his belt in a very close fight.
Jack has a slight edge as long as he lets his hands go each and every round.
Play: Jack +120 @ BetOnline.ag
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Badou Jack betting • Noel Gevor betting • Noel Mikaelyn betting