Boxing Breakdown: Adrien Broner vs. Adrian Granados fight preview and prediction

This Saturday, Showtime features one of boxing’s most outlandish personalities in action as Adrien Broner (32-2; 24 KO) faces Adrian Granados (18-4-2; 11 KO). The fight takes place at Welterweight (147 pounds) where neither man is ranked by Ring Magazine. Showtime Championship Boxing Broner vs. Granados airs live this Saturday, February 18 on Showtime with a fight time of 9:00 p.m. ET. Also included on the broadcast is Lamont Peterson vs. David Avanesyan and Marcus Brown vs. Thomas Williams, Jr.

How do these two stack up?
Broner: 27 years old | 5’6” | 69" reach | orthodox stance
Granados: 27 years old | 5’9" | 74" reach | orthodox stance

What have these two done recently?
Broner: W - Ashley Theophane (TKO) | W - Khabib Allakhverdiev (TKO) | L - Shawn Porter (UD)
Granados: W - Ariel Vasquez (UD) | W - Amir Imam (TKO) | W - Gaku Takahashi (UD)

How did these two get here?

Adrien “The Problem” Broner is an outspoken fighter from the Floyd Mayweather school of fight promotion. For years he’s been calling himself the greatest boxer alive, which has, understandably, resulted in a lot of backlash. He’s certainly not the greatest, but the backlash to that can often cloud the fact that he is a very good fighter whose only losses come against high level fighter Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter. He’s dealt with both losses well, bouncing back with solid rebound wins that showed him improving his technique and trying to fill the exposed holes. Broner has dealt with a lot of issues outside the ring as well - hard to know what kind of impact that will have here.

Adrian Granados is a tough Chicago fighter, who may lack the name recognition of Broner, but certainly should not be overlooked. The 27 year old has mostly fought in the Chicago area, but he’s been in there with some solid competition, including a 2013 draw with Kermit Cintron and a 2015 win over Amir Imam. He has more losses than Broner, but many of those were close, mildly controversial decisions. He’s definitely taking a step up here, but it’s not as big a step as you might think.

What can fans expect?

Despite his reputation and the way he presents himself, Broner is in actuality a somewhat conservative fighter when the going gets tough. He’s capable of fighting a smart fight, but as Maidana demonstrated, he’s also capable of getting flustered. Strange as it is to say, it does appear Broner has “matured” since then, so I don’t see him getting thrown off his game in that same way again. I see Granados trying to push the action, Broner trying to outbox him. And ultimately, though I wouldn’t see a Granados win as a shock, it seems like an easier path to victory for The Problem.
Prediction: Broner, UD

Who should watch?

There’s a certain pathos to Adrien Broner fights. Like Tito Ortiz in MMA, he’s a guy who makes you tend to care about his fights. If you want to see him faced with a real challenge, this is for you. Also, it’s a solid, evenly matched card all around, so the whole night is worth it for any boxing fan.