Badou Jack turned 42 a little over a month ago. With Gilberto Ramirez poised to face Davis Benavidez and Jai Opetaia’s next move uncertain after his 8-round win over Huseyin Cinkara, the Stockholm-born WBC champion of Gambian-Swedish descent stands at a crossroads. He hopes to craft a Hall-of-Fame career. But first, he must deal with a tough rematch. Former champion Norair, more commonly known as Noel Mikaeljan, has been pushing for another shot at Jack’s belt ever since their closely contested meeting in May.

The 35-year-old fighter of Armenian heritage remains convinced he won the previous fight. “The world knows I won the first fight. That’s why I’m getting the rematch,” he told The Ring months ago. Badou Jack and Norair Mikaeljan headline a stacked card promoted by Bash Boxing. Billed as “Championing Mental Health 2: Rematch Season,” the event unfolds tonight at Los Angeles’ Ace Mission Studios. Since the two have already faced each other, plenty of details are readily available. But it’s still worth revisiting the key information.

Predicting Badou Jack vs. Norair Mikaeljan: Who has better stats and a record?

It’s a tale of two ring veterans who kicked off their professional careers roughly around the same time as one another. If Jack made his debut in 2009, then Mikaeljan followed up in 2011. Understandably, the former edged ahead in terms of the sheer number of bouts. Out of the 35 opponents he faced, Jack emerged victorious in 29. The remaining 6 fights are split equally between 3 losses and 3 draws.

Norair Mikaeljan’s records display somewhat similar details. Against 27 wins, he suffered losses in 3.

Neither the champion nor the challenger shows any particular preference towards ending fights early. The Sweden-born fighter stopped 17 of his opponents, recording a 59% strike rate. In contrast, Mikaeljan’s knockout-to-win rate stands at 44%.

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Badou Jack vs. Norair Mikaeljan: Height, weight, reach comparison, and more

Physically, the two are closely matched. The challenger stands at 6 ft 2 in (189 cm), one inch taller than the champion, who measures 6 ft 1 in (185 cm). With a reach of 75 inches (191 cm), Mikaeljan also enjoys a two-inch reach advantage over Jack’s 73 inches (185 cm).

When they last met on May 3 in Riyadh, Jack weighed 200 pounds, while Mikaeljan came in at 198.1 pounds.

Their latest weigh-in results are:

• Jack: … pounds
• Mikaeljan: … pounds

Fight prediction

Opinions are split, largely because their previous bout produced a contentious result. Some outlets list Jack as a clear favorite, while others believe Mikaeljan will turn the tables in the rematch.

Many who favor the Armenian challenger point to Jack’s age. He is well into his forties, and he faced considerable challenges during their first encounter. Additionally, both fighters are returning from nearly two-year layoffs, adding an element of unpredictability.

Styles and strategy

Under former champion and Hall-of-Fame trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Jack has developed into a fierce body puncher. His stamina, jab, and disciplined come-forward style make him a crowd-pleaser. However, his aggression is backed by solid defense. He keeps a high guard and can even switch stances to disrupt opponents.

Mikaeljan, however, presents a stylistic mirror. A pressure fighter who thrives in close-range exchanges, the Miami-based contender favors uppercuts and body shots. His high-volume style makes fights intense and physically taxing for his opponents.

As seen in their May battle, fans should expect a center-of-the-ring firefight, with both men probing early before exploding with precision combinations to the head and body. Since each fighter already understands the other’s strengths and vulnerabilities, even a small mistake could swing the outcome.

This is a pivotal fight for both men. If Jack loses the title, reclaiming another championship at his age will be an uphill battle. For Mikaeljan, this could represent one of his final opportunities at a world title before those chances dry up.

What’s your take? If Jack wins, should he call out Opetaia, the Benavidez-Zurdo winner, or wait for Jake Paul?