It's Showtime: Hesdy Gerges vs. Daniel Ghita Preview

Hesdy Gerges and Daniel Ghita will headline Sunday's It's Showtime card as the two top heavyweights meet in a non-title bout. Gerges, the current It's Showtime champion, was of course recently released from jail just in time to still be available for this bout against the Romanian Ghita.

Following a loss to Brice Guidon just under a year ago, Gerges was lined up for the now infamous title bout against Badr Hari. Fans will remember that Hari's pension for striking grounded opponents led to Gerges being crowned the It's Showtime heavyweight champion. The Chakuriki Gym fighter has gone 2-1 since that bout last May, stopping Rustemi Kreshnik with leg kicks in September, dropping a decision to Semmy Schilt in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16, and sending Yusuke Fujimoto on his way with leg kicks in a non-tournament bout at the World Grand Prix Final in December.

The Romanian Ghita went 2-2 in 2010, splitting two decisions under the It's Showtime banner in the first half of the year, with a win over Dzevad Poturak and loss to Ashwin Balrak. After a four month layoff, Ghita returned to action at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16, knocking out Errol Zimmerman in the second round of their bout. He followed that victory up with an amazing display against Gokhan Saki in the tournament quarterfinals in December. While Ghita did not come away from the win, it is impossible to have not been impressed by what Ghita showed in that hard fought battle - particularly after watching a diminished Saki enter the ring against Alistair Overeem later in the night.

A battle of top heavyweights, Sunday's bout between Gerges and Ghita should be particularly interesting in light of the characteristics both fighters bring to the fight. The taller Gerges has often fought to decisions in his career, while Ghita has finished his opponent in eight of his last ten victories.

Both use kicks effectively, but between Ghita's leg kicks and his ability to time kicks to the body, I don't believe that is an area that Gerges will want to test Ghita in. Rather, Gerges is likely to look to utilize his reach advantage and establish the jab against Ghita in a manner similar to what Semmy Schilt did against the Romanian in the K-1 2009 World Grand Prix Final 16.

Gerges is defensively sound and he's not one to be stopped easily, but Ghita certainly possesses the tools to put any fighter's ability to finish a bout in jeopardy. If he can work inside, be it early or perhaps by undermining Gerges' ability to move away by using leg kicks, Ghita may very well end up with a decisive win.

Regardless, I anticipate a good, hard fought bout between these two. The only thing I could see putting a damper on the action would be the question of conditioning, particularly in light of the recent distractions that Gerges has had outside of the ring.