Amid all the contest for glory and tussling for the rise in the ranks, when Hasibullah Ahmadi walks to the center of the Kingdom Arena, he will try to put Afghanistan on the world map in the biggest fight of his career. He fights Isaac Lowe this May 18 on the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk card. But can he pull off an upset and shock the boxing community?

Lowe vs. Ahmadi has all the ingredients to be an enthralling contest, along with world title aspirations, boasting rights in the featherweight division, and national honor. A win will also all but confirm inclusion in the world rankings for the winner as a lucrative prize. Who will bag it? Let’s have a look at the two boxers stacked up before their high-voltage clash.

Isaac Lowe vs. Hasibullah Ahmadi: Tale of the tape

Lowe, 30, is the more experienced of the two. The British boxer has an impressive record of 24-2 with 8 KOs, which suggests his reliance on method, skills, and taking fights deep and breaking down his opponent throughout 10 rounds. His KO ratio of 33% also hints at the same. Besides, he carries a size and height advantage over his opponent, as he stands tall at 5’7″ (170 cm).

Meanwhile, Ahmadi is the younger of the two at 23 and still solidifying himself in the featherweight division. He also holds a splendid record of 16-1 with 5 KOs and can be put in the same category as a methodical fighter as Lowe. Despite his shorter demeanor at 5’4″ (163 cm), the Afghani fighter has amassed success as he has previously collected the WBC Asian featherweight championship. However, he might have to take on the uphill task of surmounting a challenge to Tyson Fury’s best friend.

Recent form, momentum, fighting style, and Tyson Fury factor

Wherever ‘The Gypsy King’ has fought, Lowe has followed him and fought under the same undercard. The pair have been together since childhood and, unsurprisingly, are training partners too. Some of the champion’s confidence has rubbed off on him too, as the Morecombe native won the WBC International featherweight title after defeating Lucan Rafael Baez in 2018. He had previously bagged the Commonwealth strap too.

However, Lowe hit a low when Luis Alberto Lopez dismantled him, and instead of a tune-up fight, he picked up undefeated hot prospect Nick Ball and suffered his second defeat on the trot. While Lopez is the current IBF champion, Ball can become the WBA world champion on June 1. After the loss, many critics struck him off. Since then, Lowe has only planned to put on a good show for the fans and prove his doubters wrong. He is on a three-win streak and will look to make it four when he faces Ahmadi.

While Lowe always had the shadow of Fury overlooking him, Ahamdi forged his path when he started boxing at 12 in Kabul and later moved to Dubai to polish his skills and mold himself into a better boxer. His sole defeat came against Dana Coolwell last year, but he bounced back strongly and closed the year with a win over Sukpraserd Ponpitak. What sets him apart is his ability to dictate the action, his zeal to outbox, and his plan to land more effective punches. In addition, his left hooks and rights to the head do substantial damage to his opponents in the ring. But is it enough to hand a defeat to the boxer who is trained by Ben Davison?

Prediction: Who wins it at Fury vs. Usyk?

Davison knows how to turn around the careers. Just look at Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. The same could also work for Lowe. Ahmadi has his work cut out for him with an opponent who has an elite coach and an elite training partner. Likewise, their contest will not be a war, which will be decided on power and granite chin. It’s a showdown of boxing skills, and whoever lags will leave the arena with a loss.

Lowe is prone to cuts, as evidenced by his previous fights, and Ahmadi can exploit it to the fullest. He has the weaponry to do so too. But in the end, Lowe might prove too much to handle for Ahmadi. Lowe’s juggernaut may continue to march on and pick up a fourth consecutive win if the fight goes the distance. If not, an early knockout by Ahmadi cannot be completely ruled out, either.

What do you make of this coming fight between Isaac Lowe and Hasibullah Ahmadi? Who do you think will secure a win and move up in the ranks? Let us know in the comments below.