Four months after he clinched a string of vacant regional titles, young American middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. is poised to face a formidable opponent. Traveling all the way from Warsaw, Kamil Gardzielik awaits him at the Prudential Center, in his home state of New Jersey’s largest city, Newark. The Polish warrior wants to breathe in fresh energy into his career that has largely remained within the periphery of his country.

Mielnicki and Gardzielik fight on a big Top Rank card that will be live-streamed on ESPN+. The co-main event features a grudge match between Lorenzo ‘Truck’ Simpson and Jahi Tucker. The Mielnicki-Gardzielik bout is a contrast in styles. The American believes in stopping his opponent early. Nearly a decade older than him, his opponent, on the other hand, believes in taking his foe the whole distance. So ahead of their exciting match, let’s review how the two middleweights stack up against each other.

Predicting Vito Mielnicki vs. Kamil Gardzielik: Who has better stats and a better record?

Considering that he began his professional journey three years before Mielnicki made his debut, as far as experience is concerned, Gardzielik appears to have the upper hand. But check the output. In a short span of six years, the American, who turned 23 on May 10, has already participated in 22 fights. That’s greater than what Gardzielik accomplished in his nearly decade-long career.

But then, in qualitative terms, the records differ. In his 19 outings, Kamil Gardzielik has never been beaten. Vito Mielnicki, on the other hand, suffered a loss early in his career. With the last match against Connor Coyle ending in a draw, the Belleville-born fighter records 20 wins.

But between the two, who’s the more fearsome finisher? The answer is quite simple: Vito Mielnicki. With 12 of his wins ending via knockouts, he boasts a competitive 60% knockout-to-win rate. Gardzielik, on the other hand, has managed to drop only five of his opponents thus far. Thus, his KO rate remains at 21%.

Mielnicki vs. Gardzielik: Height, Weight, Reach Comparison, and More

As far as size and weight are concerned, Mielnicki and Gardzielik match each other. If the Polish fighter stands 5 feet and 11.5 inches, or 182 centimeters, then the American boasts a 6-foot, or 183-centimeter height. Likewise, against Mielnicki’s 70 inches, or 178 centimeters, Gardzielik records 72.8 inches, or 185 centimeters, of reach.

The final weigh-ins of the event are over. Both Vito Mielnicki and Kamil Gardzielik tipped the scale at 159.5 lbs. and made the weights.

Fight Prediction

Mielnicki will fight in front of a cheering home crowd. Hence, he will be all the more motivated to excel and improve his standing in the WBO ranks. Add in his propensity for early stoppages, and the young fighter emerges as the clear favorite to win the fight tonight. Though bound to change, he will step into the ring with -2000 odds favoring his victory over the +950 underdog Gardzielik.

But there remains a challenge. Counting out the DQ win over Laszlo Toth, his last three bouts went the whole distance. The most recent ones were close wins. Nonetheless, expressing optimism, Mielnicki said, “I’m not happy with my last two performances, so I’m gonna use this stage and really showcase my talents and what I’ve been working for since I was a kid.”

But Kamil Gardzielik seems equally determined to thwart Mielnicki’s game plan. “I’m here to show the fans that the level of boxing in Poland is very high. And I came here to win,” he said.

Our Prediction: Vito Mielnicki winning a close decision.

Do you disagree with our prediction? If so, then do share your pick for the win.