The clash between Utria and Nkosi brings together two aggressive fighters who build their offense in different ways.

The South African boxer prefers to stay close to his opponent, where he’s most comfortable thanks to strong upper-body movement and combination punching. Landing clean on Nkosi is no easy task — even at close range, he’s constantly defending himself with blocks, slips, and inside positioning.

Utria, on the other hand, works primarily at mid-range — but with a different approach. The Colombian reads distance well, provokes opponents to attack, and immediately counters as they move in. Combined with his heavy punching power, this makes him a constant threat for a wide variety of opponents.

Nkosi, 28, is six years older and has two career losses. However, in a tournament for rising prospects, that doesn’t have to be a disadvantage. The South African knows how to respond when things go wrong — mentally and physically — and that kind of experience can turn into an advantage, even if it came through setbacks.

Nkosi holds the edge here, largely due to his style. He throws more punches and lands more power shots but struggles with the jab — he’s statistically weaker in that area and not particularly skilled with his lead hand.

Utria is a different kind of fighter. Despite liking mid-range exchanges, he’s more selective and accurate. The Colombian significantly outperforms his rival in precision — 23% to 14% overall accuracy, including a 10% edge in power punch accuracy (26% vs. 16%). Considering his punching power, that’s a dangerous combination.

Both fighters will be entering the ring for the fourth time this year, which is impressive. The fact that the tournament continues in Saudi Arabia is another plus for both — this pace helps young prospects develop and exposes them to new challenges that speed up their growth.

While Nkosi is active and throws combinations, Utria clearly has the edge in power. He’s finished 83% of his fights inside the distance, and his punches both sound and feel heavy. His timing and precision on the counter can easily become the decisive factor against such an aggressive opponent.

Nkosi has been down before — though that was long ago, in 2019, early in his career. In recent years, he’s taken punches well. Utria is also careful, even when engaging at short range, and rarely leaves himself exposed.

Neither fighter is likely to have much of a crowd advantage this time. The bout will again take place in Saudi Arabia, a familiar environment for both, which should allow them to focus entirely on the task at hand.

Both men have confidently made it through the earlier rounds. Utria has one knockout and two decision wins; Nkosi has identical results, with his stoppage coming one round later in the opening stage.

From here on, it all comes down to tactics and execution. The Colombian is one of the favorites in the division — fast, well-timed, with solid footwork and real power. If he finds his moment for a clean shot, he might not just reach the tournament final — he could do it by knockout.