The anticipated boxing match for the weekend will feature two Olympic boxing medalists - Amir Khan and  Andriy Kotelnik. Kotelnik, who is the current WBA light welterweight title holder, is set to  defent his belt against the promising Khan.

United Kingdom’s Amir Khan (20-1, 15 KOs) has made ripples in his young career by showing athleticism that may one day earn him a title. And he has a shot at earning that distinction with his fight against Kotelnik. Khan has great foot speed that he can use to his advantage against the slow-footed Kotelnik. He can also hurt his opponents with his hands, as shown by his knockout ratio.

Khan’s biggest problem would be his notoriously weak chin. His lone loss came at the hands of Colombian Breidis Prescott, who is not exceptionally known for his punching power, but managed to knock out Khan in 54 seconds. Khan also had troubles in his previous fights whenever he gets tagged in the head even by light-hitting opponents. So to compensate for this deficiency, Khan must be active on his feet the whole match.  His best bet is to jab or land combinations, then step out of the way through lateral movements. It also helps if he stays away from the champion’s range (which he can do, as he has a substantial reach advantage) and try to accumulate the points each round as he lets Kotelnik chase him. Even with his power in his arsenal, it would not be wise to slug it out with Kotelnik (or any other fighter, for that matter). For Khan, control and patience are the key.

Against the Ukranian Kotelnik (31-2-1, 13 KOs), that is easier said than done. Andriy is not just another paper champion. He has good fundamentals, great defense and a sturdy chin.

Kotelnik is orthodox in style - the type you see in amateur boxing. But that is not an insult in any way. It just highlights kotelnik’s fundamentals. He does not take risky moves. This style has worked for him, as he has not been floored in 30+ fights.

While he may be slow-footed, he has good hand speed. He doesn’t have a knockout punch, but that would not be a problem against Khan and his glass jaw - he may just sneak in a knockout punch if Khan is not careful. But even if he does not look for that knockout punch, he can still win this fight with his tried and tested formula. He can rely on blocking Khan’s shots and then effectively counterpunch, racking up the points round after round in that way. However, he must not be lulled into thinking that Khan will simply go all out. Khan will do a hit and run style, and stick to that gameplan. Kotelnik must look for ways to corner Khan to neutralize the Brit’s foot speed. If he just chases Khan all night long, this fight will be his to lose.