![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Currently, oddsmakers agree with Australia\u2019s super welterweight champ, albeit in what is effectively a pick \u2018em fight.<\/p>\n
According to the TAB, Zerafa is $1.85 favourite, with the undefeated Tszyu slightly wider at $1.95.<\/p>\n
When it comes to Mazoudier\u2019s KO call meanwhile, Zerafa is paying $3, and Tszyu $3.30.<\/p>\n
Both fighters are at odds of $4.20 to win on points. <\/p>\n
Back in August last year, Mazoudier was trailing narrowly on the scorecards when stopped by Tszyu \u2013 75-77, 74-78, 75-77 \u2013 in what was Australian promoter No Limit\u2019s 2024 Fight of the Year.<\/p>\n
In the 16 months since, the now Central Coast-based fighter hasn\u2019t only rebounded to win the Australian title, or defend twice, but now sees himself in position for either a second crack at the younger Tszyu sibling or fellow No Limit stablemate Brock Jarvis.<\/p>\n
After defending his title on the undercard of Tim Tszyu\u2019s recent Sydney homecoming in December — beating Dominic Molinario — Mazoudier said he wants either a crack at the loser of Tszyu-Zerafa or Jarvis, who is currently recovering from shoulder surgery.<\/p>\n
“It’s a worse Tim!” – Zerafa slams Tszyu | 03:33<\/p>\n
Nikita Tszyu, meanwhile, has fought just once since the Mazoudier win, due to ongoing problems with a troublesome left hand that required surgery after the domestic showdown.<\/p>\n
Back in August, The Butcher needed only a round to finish Macedonia\u2019s Lulzim Ismaili, while Zerafa, a longtime world title challenger, and who boasts a decade more experience than Nikita Tszyu, also finished American Mikey Dahlman within a round on the undercard. <\/p>\n
So as for Mazoudier\u2019s Zerafa-Tszyu tip?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really hard one to predict, man,\u201d the Australian champ said of finding a winner. \u201cAnd really is about who wants it more.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Nikita is a true warrior — and that Tszyu name is special in Australia — but I don\u2019t know how much he has passion for the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere Zerafa, he has passion for the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas that ego, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019ll edge towards Michael getting it done.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ll say this, someone is getting knocked the f*** out whichever way it goes.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause both those guys can both hurt each other, and they can both get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inoue v Picasso: Full Fight Highlights | 07:44<\/p>\n
Certainly there is no doubting the bad blood fuelling the Tszyu-Zerafa showdown.<\/p>\n
Already, Tszyu has branded Zerafa an insecure, attention-seeking \u201ccoward\u201d \u2013 and welcomed the opportunity to \u201ccrush every bone in his body\u201d when they eventually throw down early in the new year.<\/p>\n
Back in October, Nikita also told Fox Sports Australia how he and his family will never forgive Zerafa\u2019s infamous \u2018Micky Hatton\u2019 sledge, which occurred during the build for what was supposed to be a 2021 domestic blockbuster with Tim Tszyu.<\/p>\n
Zerafa was conducting a \u2018Face Off\u2019 interview with Tim Tszyu and Main Event\u2019s Ben Damon when he made the remark, which was a direct reference to the boys\u2019 Hall Of Fame father Kostya Tszyu — who 14 years earlier had suffered a career-ending loss to the late, great Englishman Ricky Hatton.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m Micky Zerafa,\u201d Zerafa had declared, without prompting. \u201cIt\u2019s f***ing Micky Hatton rocking up. I\u2019m taking over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sitting across the table, Tim Tszyu initially appeared shocked by the surprise comments before eventually firing back: \u201cDon\u2019t talk about that fight man. Don\u2019t talk about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Four years on and the fallout from that sledge still lingers.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Because] my first thought? What a f***ing piece of s***,\u201d Nikita said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat fight of my father\u2019s, it was a dark moment in our family history. A time that wasn\u2019t easy on any of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, boxing is a f***ed sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd for us growing up within that sport, we\u2019ve seen all the trials and tribulations, all the pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what my dad had to go through in that fight, it was one of the hardest things to watch. I remember he was pissing blood for weeks afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo to take a shot at that? To use it as a way of insulting our family?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt shows the type of character you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tszyu v Velazquez: Full Fight Highlights | 07:38<\/p>\n
Asked in a separate interview about Zerafa walking away from the 2021 fight with his big brother, Nikita also fired: \u201cThere is one thing he can never deny, he was a coward when he chose to run his mouth, then run from the fight with Tim.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows this, and it lives with him every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Mazoudier stressed he is now ready to take on some of the country\u2019s biggest names after responding from last year\u2019s Nikita Tszyu loss with three straight wins.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Brock Jarvis makes sense,\u201d the champ said when asked who he wants next.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s coming off an injury and has only ever lost to [former world champions] Liam Paro and Keith Thurman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a bit of beef too, a few push and shoves.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I also called him a few names the other day that he wasn\u2019t happy about. So that one looks like a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One of Nikita Tszyu\u2019s toughest rivals is tipping him to get knocked out in his all-Australian grudge match…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":660019,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4108],"tags":[201745,193947,186,22631,60080,201737,201741,60086,201748,201747,1935,4496,201736,201744,4925,155342,201743,22626,201746,201739,60774,127707,7177,2048,60095,21030,22617,201738,79,201742,1862,31538,201740,16,15,104142],"class_list":{"0":"post-660018","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boxing","8":"tag-all-australian-grudge","9":"tag-anthony-velazquez","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","12":"tag-australian-boxing","13":"tag-australian-champ","14":"tag-australian-promoter","15":"tag-australian-title","16":"tag-bantamweight-titles","17":"tag-ben-damon","18":"tag-boxing","19":"tag-boxing-news","20":"tag-domestic-blockbuster","21":"tag-domestic-headliner","22":"tag-face-off","23":"tag-family-history","24":"tag-fight-man","25":"tag-getty-images-inc","26":"tag-hyped-bout","27":"tag-jarvis","28":"tag-matt-king","29":"tag-michael-zerafa","30":"tag-naoya-inoue","31":"tag-new-south-wales","32":"tag-nick-walshaw","33":"tag-night","34":"tag-oceania","35":"tag-shoulder-surgery","36":"tag-sports","37":"tag-super-welterweight-champ","38":"tag-sydney","39":"tag-tim-tszyu","40":"tag-toughest-rivals","41":"tag-uk","42":"tag-united-kingdom","43":"tag-world-champions"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/660019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}