Takei vs Higa Betting Preview & Predictions for September 3
- Former K1-kickboxing champion Yoshiki Takei has claimed boxing gold in just 9 pro bouts
- His challenger, Daigo Higa, will be one of the most experienced and heavy hitters he’s faced to date.
- Discover the best boxing odds for Takei vs. Higa.
The world awaits another Naoya Inoue knockout and successful title defense this coming Tuesday, but “The Monster” isn’t the only Japanese powerhouse waiting to put his iron fists on display, as two of Japan’s standout knockout artists, Yoshiki Takei and Daigo Higa, will duke it out for the WBO bantamweight championship.
As the resident BetUS combat sports expert, I’m back to analyzing yet another high-profile boxing bout to provide you with a clearer outlook on who to bet on at BetUS Sportsbook and why!
Takei vs. Higa Fight Information
- Date & Time: Tuesday, September. 3, 2024 – 05:45 a.m. ET
- Location: Ariake Arena, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Promotion: Ohashi/Top Rank Promotions
- Scheduled Bouts: 5
- Main Event Bout: Naoya Inoue vs. TJ Doheny
- Co-Main Event Bout: Yoshiki Takei vs. Daigo Higa
Takei vs. Higa Betting Odds
Takei vs. Higa Betting Odds Preview
Yoshiki Takei: Two-Discipline Takeover
Tokyo’s own Yoshiki Takei got bored of battering the opposition under the K-1 promotion. After a successful career as the super bantamweight titleholder, he transitioned from a 25-2 kickboxing record to test his hands as a pro boxer.
Naturally, behind lifelong experience as a kickboxer, he was no stranger to combat sports. And so, reminiscent of the UFC’s Alex Pereira, he effortlessly switched to a new discipline when shifting his talents into the boxing world and became a two-sport champion in no time.
It’s one thing to test your fighting skills in multiple disciplines, but achieving world championship status in kickboxing and boxing is truly incredible. Takei’s ninth pro boxing bout overall brought the dream accomplishment to fruition, as earlier this year, he shocked onlookers as a +160 underdog to snatch the WBO bantamweight strap from Australia’s Jason Moloney.
Three years after beginning life as a professional boxer, Takei enters the ring for his maiden title defense. Moreover, he’s just 28 years old! Should his high knockout rate and domineering performances continue, we could be looking at a Japanese megastar of the future, but first, he must tackle, potentially his toughest test to date, Daigo Higa!
Daigo Higa & His 90% KO Rate
Higa, 29, is no stranger to world championship success. As a former highly touted prospect by boxing news outlets, he became a world champion aged just 23 after crumpling Ariake Colosseum with a vicious knockout to collect the previously vacated WBC flyweight title.
Unfortunately, following two successful title defenses, he would become his own worst enemy. A botched weight cut saw him stripped of the title before he suffered defeat to the hard-hitting Cristoger Rosales. This led him to the bantamweight division, where he might be undersized at 5-foot-4, but it certainly didn’t affect his knockout potential.
Knocking opponents down and out has been consistent throughout Higa’s career. All but two of his 21 pro wins have come by KO/TKO, and since moving to 118lbs, he’s gone 6-1-1 with four knockout victories. With an extra seven years of professional boxing experience over his weekend opponent, he’ll be looking to impose that punching power once again, albeit as the smaller, less active fighter of the two.
Takei vs. Higa: The Tale of the Tape
Takei vs. Higa Skillset Analysis: Size Matters
Forget what your girlfriend said… Size matters, especially in the bantamweight division, where every inch could be the difference-maker in an at-range battle of the jab. Of course, for Higa specifically, size hasn’t always been an issue at 5’4” because he’s doubled down on power to counteract such disadvantages. The problem here is that he’s now faced with an opponent who hits just as hard, if not harder, so his attempts at entering the phone booth might result in a deadly dial tone.
Both fighters present similar styles with an affinity for knockout blows. Still, Takei’s kickboxing background has flourished in the boxing world due to an unconventional and difficult technique to read. Undoubtedly, it will take Higa a few rounds to understand his opponent, but will it be too late?
The outlier here is that Higa does have significantly more experience, and he’s fought a plethora of opponents who present differing statures and styles. Decoding the former kickboxer might not be as challenging as we believe, especially when this might be Takei’s most experienced caliber of opponent to date.
The obvious game plan for Takei is to stick and move from the outside, remain elusive, and utilize his reach and experience fighting at a distance. This could be easier said than done, however, as Maloney displayed in the last fight that rushing Takei’s pocket via flurries of combinations can overwhelm him despite it coming too late in the bout to make a difference.
Higa really needs to get working early and often. Allowing Takei to dictate the pace will lose him valuable rounds. Still, as boxing betting fans witness two heavy hitters go toe-to-toe, it’s difficult to imagine that they won’t put on a show-stopping performance and potentially deliver a fight-ending blow.
Takei vs. Higa Betting Trends
- Takei has won 8 of his 9 pro boxing bouts via KO/TKO
- Higa has won 19 of his 21 pro wins via KO/TKO
- Takei is undefeated as a professional boxer and 25-2 as a kickboxer
How to Bet on Takei vs. Higa
Though durability is evidently present for both fighters, with just one knockout loss from their combined records, they equally possess the punching power to end a fight with one punch in any round. With this contest potentially becoming an absolute barn-burner as Higa will be forced to close the distance to find success, it’s hard not to envision one of these men getting put to sleep.
I can’t respect the -420 boxing odds on Takei because he’s still unproven with just nine pro fights to his name, but I can get behind this fight ending inside the distance because not only do we have two potent knockout artists, but the price for this prop bet also sits at plus-money.
I’d side with Takei taking the dub with a sniper-like style, size advantage, and elusive and awkward footwork. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see either fighter get flatlined before the final bell, thus making the +120 odds on this outcome an approachable piece of value.
Bet This Pick: Fight to Go the Distance – No (+120)
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
Take A Look At These Other 2 Boxing Special Articles
- Inoue vs Doheny Betting Preview: Best Approach for The Monsters’ Return!
- These Are the Top 5 Most Impressive KOs in Boxing History.
Questions of the Day
Will Takei vs Higa end in a knockout?
With an 88% knockout rate for Takei and a 90% KO clip for Higa, there’s a high probability chance that this WBO bantamweight title bout ends via KO/TKO.
