FIGHT WEEK FRIDAY PICKS • AUGUST 28, 2026
The picks are back.
Last weekend gave Fight Week a solid start to the weekly prediction record. We correctly picked five of seven winners, including Teofimo Lopez over Rolly Romero and Gary Antonio Russell over Victor Santillan by decision.
Fight Week 2026 Prediction Record: 5–2
Now comes an even deeper weekend.
Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron meet in a three-belt unification fight in Birmingham, Moses Itauma takes the biggest step of his young career against Filip Hrgovic, and UFC Shanghai is headlined by an important bantamweight matchup between Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong.
Before all of that, two unbeaten lightweights meet tonight in Orlando.
Here are the Fight Week Picks.
FRIDAY NIGHT BOXING
Corey Marksman vs. Christian Barreto
Fight Week Pick: Corey Marksman
Method: Decision
Confidence: 7/10
Matchroom’s new Project Series opens tonight in Orlando with an excellent developmental matchup between two unbeaten lightweights.
Marksman enters at 13-0-1 with nine knockouts, while Barreto brings a 15-0 record. Marksman is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Jaycob Gomez and will defend his WBA Continental Americas title while the WBO Global lightweight title is also at stake.
Barreto should make him earn this one. This is a meaningful step up rather than another showcase opponent, and both fighters have enough power to change the fight with one exchange.
The difference should be Marksman’s ability to control the fight behind his jab and put together cleaner combinations.
The Pick: Marksman wins a competitive fight on the scorecards.
SATURDAY BOXING
Mikaela Mayer vs. Chantelle Cameron
Fight Week Pick: Mikaela Mayer
Method: Decision
Confidence: 6/10
This is the hardest pick of the weekend.
Mayer enters at 22-2 with five knockouts and holds the WBA and WBC belts, while Cameron is 22-1 with eight knockouts and owns the WBO title. The fight brings three super welterweight belts together in Birmingham.
Cameron has already proven she can win the biggest fights. Her victory over Katie Taylor remains one of the defining performances of her career, and fighting in England gives her another advantage.
But Mayer’s length, jab and ability to fight effectively from the outside could be the difference.
Mayer cannot allow Cameron to dictate the pace or turn this into a sustained inside fight. If she keeps the action at her preferred distance and remains active with the jab, she can bank enough rounds to win a very close fight.
Do not be surprised if the scorecards are debated afterward.
The Pick: Mayer edges Cameron in a close decision.
Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic
Fight Week Pick: Moses Itauma
Method: TKO
Confidence: 7/10
Now we find out just how good Moses Itauma really is.
The unbeaten 21-year-old enters at 14-0 and faces former world-title challenger Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight championship at London’s O2 Arena. A victory would make Itauma one of the youngest heavyweight world champions in boxing history.
Hrgovic represents the most experienced and dangerous opponent Itauma has faced.
He is big, strong and has been in difficult heavyweight fights. If Itauma cannot hurt him early, we may finally learn how the young contender handles adversity and the later rounds.
But Itauma’s speed is unusual for a heavyweight. He can attack from angles, put combinations together quickly and generate serious power without loading up.
Hrgovic should survive longer than some of Itauma’s recent opponents, but eventually the younger man’s speed and combinations become too much.
The Pick: Itauma forces a stoppage in the middle rounds and becomes IBF heavyweight champion.
Caroline Dubois vs. Amelia Moore
Fight Week Pick: Caroline Dubois
Method: Decision
Confidence: 9/10
Moore is unbeaten, but this is a massive jump in competition.
Dubois enters with considerably more professional experience and will defend her WBC and WBO lightweight championships. Moore enters only her fifth professional fight.
That does not mean Moore has nothing to offer. An undefeated challenger with little to lose can be dangerous.
But Dubois has already operated at a much higher level and should control this fight with her southpaw boxing, movement and shot selection.
The shorter two-minute rounds could help Moore survive without taking extended punishment, which makes a decision more likely than a stoppage.
The Pick: Dubois controls the fight from beginning to end and wins a wide decision.
Lester Martinez vs. Luka Plantic
Fight Week Pick: Lester Martinez
Method: TKO
Confidence: 7/10
Someone’s unbeaten record is in serious danger.
Martinez enters at 20-0-1 with 16 knockouts and defends his interim WBC super middleweight title against Plantic, who is 13-0 with 10 knockouts.
There should be plenty of power in this fight.
Plantic is dangerous enough that Martinez cannot simply walk through him, but Martinez has faced the deeper competition and carries his power throughout a fight.
Expect a competitive opening before Martinez begins finding openings as Plantic becomes more willing to exchange.
The Pick: Martinez breaks Plantic down and scores a late stoppage.
UFC SHANGHAI
Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong
Fight Week Pick: Umar Nurmagomedov
Method: Decision
Confidence: 8/10
Song Yadong is dangerous enough to make this interesting.
The Chinese bantamweight has nine career knockouts and four submissions and enters the biggest fight of his career with the home crowd behind him. UFC currently ranks Nurmagomedov No. 3 and Song No. 6 at bantamweight.
Song’s best path is keeping the fight standing and forcing Nurmagomedov into extended striking exchanges.
That is easier said than done.
Nurmagomedov’s wrestling, control and ability to blend striking into takedown attempts give him more ways to win. He does not necessarily need to dominate Song in every position. He simply needs to keep Song from settling into the kind of striking fight he wants.
The Pick: Song has his moments on the feet, but Nurmagomedov controls enough of the fight with his grappling to take a decision.
Yan Xiaonan vs. Denise Gomes
Fight Week Pick: Yan Xiaonan
Method: Decision
Confidence: 6/10
Do not overlook Denise Gomes.
Gomes has won four straight and enters with seven knockout victories on her record. She is getting the biggest opportunity of her career against a former title challenger.
Yan, however, has spent years competing near the top of the strawweight division and owns victories over Jessica Andrade, Tabatha Ricci and current champion Mackenzie Dern.
Gomes brings aggression and legitimate finishing ability, but Yan’s experience and ability to manage distance should allow her to avoid the biggest exchanges.
This could become uncomfortable if Gomes turns it into a brawl.
The Pick: Yan survives some dangerous moments and wins a close decision.
Kai Asakura vs. Aoriqileng
Fight Week Pick: Kai Asakura
Method: TKO
Confidence: 8/10
Asakura’s move to bantamweight makes this an interesting fight.
He has always carried serious speed and explosive striking, and UFC Shanghai gives him an opportunity to establish himself in a new division against Aoriqileng.
Aoriqileng is durable and willing to exchange, which could make the fight exciting.
It could also give Asakura exactly the type of fight he wants.
The Pick: Asakura’s speed and power eventually create an opening and he earns the stoppage.
Fight Week Pick of the Week
Moses Itauma over Filip Hrgovic by TKO
This is the biggest test of Itauma’s career, but it is also the fight that could announce the arrival of boxing’s next heavyweight star.
Hrgovic is experienced enough to expose any weaknesses that have been hidden by Itauma’s fast finishes. That makes this much more meaningful than another developmental matchup.
But Itauma’s combination of speed, power, movement and composure appears special.
Saturday is where he gets the chance to prove it.
Fight Week Pick: Moses Itauma by TKO — Confidence 7/10
Fight Week Picks — At a Glance
Corey Marksman over Christian Barreto — Decision — 7/10
Mikaela Mayer over Chantelle Cameron — Decision — 6/10
Moses Itauma over Filip Hrgovic — TKO — 7/10
Caroline Dubois over Amelia Moore — Decision — 9/10
Lester Martinez over Luka Plantic — TKO — 7/10
Umar Nurmagomedov over Song Yadong — Decision — 8/10
Yan Xiaonan over Denise Gomes — Decision — 6/10
Kai Asakura over Aoriqileng — TKO — 8/10
Eight picks are locked in.
By Sunday, some will look obvious. Others may look ridiculous.
That’s why they fight.
Check back with Fight Week throughout the weekend for results, reaction and post-fight analysis.
