Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios prediction: Picking the winner for the featherweight title fight

The Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios prediction is here to provide fans with strategic and tactical insight into the upcoming WBA featherweight title fight. The bout serves as the headliner of a Queensberry Promotions event scheduled for Oct. 5.

Elsewhere on the card, Andrew Cain defends his British, Commonwealth bantamweight title. He faces Joshua John, while Henry Turner competes for another British, Commonwealth strap—the vacant super lightweight one—against Jack Rafferty. Other matchups also feature on the card across various weight classes.

So, with plenty of action awaiting fans next week, who is expected to emerge victorious?

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#1. WBA featherweight title: Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios

The Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios bout will be the former's first title defense of his WBA featherweight belt, which he captured in a barnburner against Raymond Ford, improving to 20-0-1. While not as well-known outside of the United Kingdom, Ball is as vicious as they come, despite his diminutive stature.

Reminiscent of Mike Tyson in his prime, he dares to get in the face of larger opponents, applying a relentless pressure game backed by a bottomless gas tank. He's always on the front foot, cutting off his foe's angles of escape to force a pocket boxing exchange, for which his shorter arms are better equipped.

Once inside, Ball is punishing, even dirty. If the referee has a lapse, Ball will take the opportunity to use elbows and minor headbutts, much like Evander Holyfield used to. Although his power is respectable, it is his output that drowns his opponent, and this is Rios' very probable fate in the featherweight bout.

Rios is no joke. He's a decent boxer but often forgets to pump out his jab to set up follow-up shots. Furthermore, he doesn't alternate between the head and body, focusing almost entirely on the head. Worse still, he lacks lateral movement and is prone to getting into wild pocket exchanges, with the same combination to boot.

At 34 years old with a 34-4 record, he has some miles on his body as well. He's simply tailor-made for Ball, given that he's taller but likes to fight inside, is repetitive, and only moves in straight lines.

The Prediction: Nick Ball via late TKO

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#2. The rest of the Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios fight predictions

Winners in bold.

British, Commonwealth bantamweight title: Andrew Cain vs. Joshua John

British, Commonwealth super lightweight title: Henry Turner vs. Jack Rafferty

Lightweight: James McGivern vs. Facundo Arce

Lightweight: Jadier Herrera vs. Oliver Flores

Super bantamweight: Brad Strand vs. Marvin Solano

Super featherweight: Nelson Birchall vs. Mark Butler

Heavyweight: Boma Brown vs. Amine Boucetta

Light middleweight: Walter Fury vs. Dale Arrowsmith

Middleweight: Joe Cooper vs. Lukasz Barabasz