Shakur Stevenson's analysis by Timothy Bradley Jr.: Will he flaunt himself in his hometown?

Robson Conceicao will challenge Shakur Stevenson for the WBC and WBO junior lightweight world belts on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET; preliminary action begins at 5:55 p.m ET on ESPN+).

For the first time, Newarker Stevenson (18-0, 9 KOs) returns home as a champion. He defeated Jamel Herring to win the title in Atlanta in 2021, and he once defended it against Oscar Valdez in April in Las Vegas.

Brazil's Conceicao (17-1, 8 KOs), an Olympic gold medallist from 2016, lost his lone title battle by decision to Valdez in Tucson, Arizona, a year ago.

In his last two games, Stevenson, 25, shown remarkable play, becoming more aggressive and displaying his speed, power, and reflexes on defense.

Can 33-year-old Conceicao deter Stevenson long enough to land punches and pull off the surprise? Or will Stevenson force his power and control the battle from within to win?

I analyze the title match and predict the winner.

The contest

The star is rising for Stevenson. After beating Valdez, he is listed on numerous pound-for-pound lists, including ESPN's. It was a fantastic performance that came close to a shutout. Although it was against a rival who remained in front of him and was moving forward, he still managed to appear good while doing it. This time, he will be facing a counterpunching foe who will be a little more defensive, harder to find, and more difficult to pin down. Conceicao enters the ring with an amateur style that includes many straight punches, swift jabs, step-backs, and sporadic feints. Conceicao fights at a distance and lets his hands go.

A little bit more so than Conceicao, Stevenson enjoys fighting at a distance. Conceicao will certainly throw combinations inside, but Stevenson, who has improved as an inside fighter over the past few years, is more at ease in the pocket. We're going to see how skilled Stevenson is in this match. He will have to work hard and do well. He must present himself well each and every time because of his position. For the guys in the P4P rankings, the public and the media have great expectations.