AN all-Scottish dustup between Lee McGregor and Nathaniel Collins – two featherweights who have encountered, and more importantly overcome, several spells of adversity – could quite easily steal the show this Saturday.
The pair will lock horns at the OVO Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, featuring on the undercard of Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman.
But while Glaswegian operator Collins, 16-0 (7 KOs), has secured a home advantage, his opponent, traveling from rival city Edinburgh, knows exactly how to orchestrate a smash-and-grab victory on away territory.
Scotland’s last high profile intercity showdown saw McGregor, 15-1-1 (11 KOs), edge a fiercely contested split decision against Ukashir Farooq, with their enthralling dustup in 2019 remaining a divisive discussion point among fans.
Since then, McGregor has been forced to contend with many twists and turns – not least regarding his personal life beyond the ropes – with his momentum only suffering as a result.
His unanimous decision defeat to Erik Robles, for instance, was just one setback in 2023 that preceded a frustrating period of inactivity.
But now, the 28-year-old is seemingly back to his former self, as while his demons may not wither away anytime soon, the Scot’s last performance Isaac Lowe would nonetheless indicate that a new chapter is taking shape.
More than anything, ‘Lightning’ embodied exactly what his moniker suggests, utilising his razor-sharp reflexes to produce a defensively polished yet offensively prolific performance.
Unsurprisingly, all three judges scored the one-sided fight in his favour, perhaps representing a watershed moment in the now structured career of McGregor.
Collins’ rise through the ranks, meanwhile, has not been without a series of testing times, either.
Just after he claimed arguably a career-best victory against Francesco Grandelli last year, the 28-year-old was forced to undergo life-saving bowel surgery.
While in hospital, he was confronted with the possibility that he may never box again, but has since dusted off the cobwebs in an eight-round blowout last February.
Regarding his style in the ring, Collins is a technically strong southpaw while, at the same time, being known more for his aggression on the front foot than his defensive prowess at long-range.
So despite being a lefty, ‘The Nightmare’ is unlikely to tie McGregor – the superior boxer, it could be said – up in knots with his footwork.
Rather, Collins’ relentless output should represent his most potent weapon, though McGregor – based mostly on his last outing – could equally outbox the volume puncher through large spells of their contest.
A convincing but hard-fought points victory for the former British and European champion, then, represents an entirely plausible outcome.
