Can Pitters defeat the reigning European champion in Sheffield?
Former British champion, Shakan Pitters (19-2, 6KO), challenges the reigning European light-heavyweight champion, Daniel Blenda Dos Santos (22-1, 10KO), on the Canon Medical Enviornment in Sheffield this Friday night time.
The 175-pounders prime the GBM Sports activities occasion, proven reside worldwide on DAZN.
Learn on to learn the way to look at Pitters-Dos Santos, betting odds, story of the tape, and who BBN are selecting to win.
Combat particulars:
Shakan Pitters vs Daniel Blenda Dos Santos
12×3 European light-heavyweight title
Date: Friday, February 7, 2025
Venue: Canon Medical Enviornment, Sheffield
Time: 7pm
TV Channel: DAZN
Undercard Highlights: Tysie Gallagher lays her British, Commonwealth and European super-bantamweight titles on the road towards Ebonie Jones, reigniting a rivalry which started within the newbie boxing ranks throughout their teenage years.
Combat preview
The 6’ 6” Solihull stylist, Shakan Pitters, is a former British and WBC Worldwide light-heavyweight champion. The Brummie boxer additionally gained the second Final BOXXER match again in 2018, the place he defeated three opponents in a single night time to win a prize pot of £50,000.
His solely two defeats have come by the hands of world-ranked fighters Dan Azeez (UD12) and Craig Richards (TKO9).
Pitters could be very tall at 6′ 6″ and a attain of 74″.
Dos Santos’s sole profession defeat was towards Joshua Buatsi, behind closed doorways throughout lockdown in 2021. Now the reigning WBO Interim light-heavyweight champion, JB was a transparent degree above the unbeaten Frenchman, quicker, sharper, stronger, dropping him within the second then stopping him within the fourth in a really dominant, one-sided exhibiting.
Since then, the ‘Panthere’ has gained seven contests in a row, which included successful the French, European Union, and European light-heavyweight titles.
The 34-year-old is now ranked WBC #16. Pitters is WBC #26, regardless of his inactivity, attributable to beforehand holding the WBC Worldwide title.
Dos Santos does the whole lot effectively. He has a excessive guard, good ft, sharp jab, a very good counter left hook. His proper hand should drop beneath his chin at instances, as a result of Buatsi was very profitable touchdown his left hook on the appropriate aspect of Blenda’s head. In that combat, he fell unbalanced a couple of instances below the power and stress of his far superior opponent. He regarded nervous and flustered when in with such a greater high quality foe. At one level he was despatched flying from one aspect of the ring to the precise different aspect as tried to stay upright, his stability very questionable.
He switches from orthodox to southpaw, which Shak must be careful for. He can even must be cautious of these counter hooks flying again at him. Nonetheless, Dos Santos doesn’t have a really excessive KO depend, but he can nonetheless pack a punch.
Pitters makes use of his strengths and benefits to full impact. He paws out his lengthy levers and makes use of his good ft to maintain at vary. He throws plenty of jabs, which is smart with such a rangy 78″ attain, in comparison with Dos Santos’s 74½”.
Considered one of his greatest pictures is definitely an uppercut, which he landed typically and successfully towards Dan Azeez. His guard is unfastened and fluid, he throws the jab from a decrease degree than up excessive, however not all the way in which down from his hip. His left hand hangs low, between his midriff and his chest.
He’s at his handiest from mid-to-long vary, however no a lot at shut vary, which is the place Dan Azeez and Craig Richards have been each capable of greatest him.
What have they stated?
Pitters: “The EBU light-heavyweight championship is a giant title, so I’m excited for this combat. It’s a giant deal with the ability to say you’re the champion of Europe – the subsequent stage is world degree. On the similar time, I don’t let that distract me. All my focus is on successful this combat and beating Daniel Dos Santos, I’m not trying previous anybody.
“Dos Santos is sweet. It’s important to be good to win a European championship and you must be placing within the work, in order that speaks for itself. His solely ever loss is to Joshua Buatsi. He’s received a very good degree, however I do know what I’m able to and also you’ll see that on the night time.
“Proper now, all my focus is on Daniel Dos Santos on February seventh and taking that European light-heavyweight championship off him.”
Betting Odds
2/3 Pitters
6/5 Dos Santos
Prediction
Tim Rickson, BBN Editor: “Shakan has solely misplaced to world-ranked fighters which can be above home degree – world title contender, Craig Richards, and European champion, Dan Azeez. As a former British champ himself, I fee Pitters as above the home scene and I feel he’s actually European degree.
“Dos Santos has additionally solely misplaced to world-level opposition too – Joshua Buatsi, who’s now the WBO Interim champion. However, that combat was a little bit of a mismatch from what I bear in mind. JB bullied and broke him down very quickly in any respect. Dos Santos was effectively out of his depth. From the primary few seconds, it was so clear that the combat was solely going a technique.
“The Frenchman hasn’t fought in eight months, however Pitters’ inactivity is a fear after a yr and 5 months out. He might want to settle into the combat immediately to shake off any ringrust, so it’s going to be a key issue as to how the remainder of the combat will go from these early rounds, as a result of he actually wants to search out his rhythm as early as attainable, in any other case he might be taking part in catch-up. Hopefully, he’ll field behind that lengthy attain of his and dictate the tempo and management the movement of the combat early on.
“I’m backing the Brit to do enterprise. He must field good behind that rangy jab and never enable Dos Santos to get within him as a result of he can throw some spiteful hooks. It’s going to be some activity to do this for a full 12-rounds, however I imagine in him. Pitters will want self-discipline and stamina to final. If he is ready to land plenty of pictures on Dos Santos, then there may very well be the potential for a knockout, however I might anticipate that to return in a while within the combat in direction of the championship rounds, like 9 onwards.
“I’m selecting Pitters to win on factors.”
DID YOU KNOW: Nobody from Birmingham has ever gained the light-heavyweight model of the European title. If Shakan is victorious on Friday night time, he’ll develop into town’s first ever European light-heavyweight champion.
