Bailey vs Urango & Woods vs Cloud Preview & Predictions

Friday Night Fights finale includes IBF Junior Welterweight & Light Heavyweight title fights

Two vacant titles are on the line at the Hard Rock Resort and Casino in Hollywood, Florida for the explosive season finale of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights as Randall Bailey faces off against Juan Urango for the IBF Junior Welterweight title and Clinton Woods faces off against the hard hitting Tavoris Cloud for the IBF Light Heavyweight title.

Bailey vs Urango Preview:

Bailey vs Urango Breakdown:

Two of the hardest hitters in the Junior Welterweight division face off in what should be an all action engagement for however long it lasts. Bailey, 34, last held the WBO title almost 10 years ago. Since being stopped by Miguel Cotto four years ago, he has undergone a resurgence only losing once albeit a close decision against contender Herman Ngoudjo. We last saw Bailey knocking out Francisco Figueroa in April, flattening him with a right hand that earned him his title opportunity against the hard hitting Urango.

Urango's last appearance wasn't as memorable as his opponent's. In an attempt to capture a title in the Welterweight division, Urango, 28, was easily handled by Andre Berto who used his superior hand speed and clinched frequently to control the bout. However, Urango's last appearance at 140 was a brutal fight against Ngoudjo, in which he broke his jaw on the way to a lopsided victory.

Whoever wins this fight will find himself in a good position to unify titles in a very deep division, and fights will not be hard to make. Both fighters have an exciting style and are devastating punchers, so it's only natural that a fight between the two will be action packed from beginning to end.

Bailey vs Urango Prediction:

Bailey is the far more experienced fighter and must rely on his knowledge to keep the younger man at bay. Urango has shown limited skills against opponents with good footwork but has such a strong body attack that he can slow down opponents to a crawl and lay some hard shots. Unfortunately, Urango is a fighter who tends to load up too long on shots and throws too few punches at a time which the veteran Bailey will take advantage of the champion's inactivity and will weather a few rough patches before the end of the night.

Randall Bailey UD12 over Juan Urango

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Cloud vs Woods Preview:

Cloud vs Woods Breakdown

A lot has been said about young prospect Tavoris Cloud and that's mostly due to his overwhelming punching power. Cloud, 27, has been the mandatory challenger for Chad Dawson for a year before Dawson vacated but has been inactive since knocking out former champion Julio Gonzales last summer. While Cloud is being billed as another next big thing, he may gain more notoriety should he capture a belt this Friday.

For Clinton Woods, 37, this is a fight that he needs to win. Woods has been a top ten light heavyweight for years and has only lost to the best fighters in the division. In his last loss, Woods was dominated by Antonio Tarver who just looked faster, stronger and much more well conditioned than Woods. If Woods couldn't deal with the speed of Tarver, he will have his hands full with the stronger, faster Cloud.

Cloud vs Woods Prediction:

Woods is going to have to rely on his experience and sturdy chin to stay in this fight, he will also need to use his reach and height to stay away from Cloud as much as he can. Should Woods find himself stuck in one place or not moving around Cloud, he will find himself taking unnecessary punishment.

For Cloud, if he gets around the reach of Woods and actively pressures him on the inside he'll be able to score big. The big question that the young fighter has to address is that the year off in between fights hasn't taken him off his timing and that he's stayed in shape. Other than that you can expect Cloud to be the aggressor while Woods will try to counter punch and clinch to slow him down. Either way, when the two come to blows it will favor Cloud and Woods just doesn't have the speed to keep him away for the full 12 rounds.

Tavoris Cloud KO7 Clinton Woods

It's a rare treat that two title fights with big name fighters be given to us boxing fans for free on a Friday Night Fights card. Be sure to check out the season finale of Friday Night Fights on ESPN2 this Friday, August 28.

By Danny Howard
ProBoxing-fans.com Staff Writer