Tevin Farmer vs. Billy Dib for vacant IBF 130lb title on ESPN+ on Aug.3

By Boxing News - 07/30/2018 - Comments

By Jim Dower: #3 IBF Billy Dib will face #4 IBF Tevin Farmer for the vacant IBF super featherweight title on Friday, August 3 on ESPN+ from the Technology Park, in Sydney, Australia.

The start time for the Farmer vs. Dib fight is at 6:15 a.m. ET this Friday. The undercard fight will be a 10 round match between Tim Tszyu (9-0, 7 KOs) and Stevie Ongen Ferdinandus (27-15-1, 14 KOs) – junior middleweights.

This fight shapes up to be a terrible mismatch, as the 28-year-old Farmer (25-4-1, 5 KOs) is a much better fighter all around then Dib. You can argue that Dib should be ranked a lot lower than the generous number 3 ranking the IBF has given him.

Farmer lost his last fight o Kenichi Ogawa by a 12 round split decision on December 9. However, the results of the fight were overturned and changed no contest after Ogawa tested positive for the banned substance androstanediol. It was a good thing for Farmer because he would have ended up with another defeat on his resume.

Farmer is a good fighter. He’s just not in the same league as some of the other super featherweights like Gervonta Davis, Miguel Berchelt, Alberto Machado and Masayuki Ito. Luckily for Farmer, he’s not facing any of those guys on Friday night. He just needs to worry about the 32-year-old Dib, so this should be an easy fight for him.

Farmer has past losses to Oscar Santana, Josh Bowles, Kamil Laszcyk and Jose Pedraza. Farmer hasn’t lost a fight in six years, and he’s won 18 of his last 19 fights. Farmer clearly lost his last fight to Kenichi Ogawa last December, but as I mentioned, the fight results were overturned after Ogawa tested positive for a performance enhancing drug. Farmer’s best wins have come against Daulis Prescott, Gamaliel Diaz and Ivan Redkach.

Boxing fans in the U.S will be able to see the Farmer-Dib if they’re interested in paying $5 to subscribe to ESPN+ to stream it. Unfortunately, the Farmer vs. Dib fight will likely fall under the radar for most boxing fans, as many of them have no inclination to pay a subscription service to stream fights. Fans still seem to prefer watching the fights the old fashioned way on HBO, Showtime or regular ESPN. But one day perhaps the fans will be interested in matches like Farmer vs. Dib to want to shell out $5 to stream. It’s a decent fight, but not a great one. Dib, 32, hasn’t beaten anyone of note to be given a #3 ranking with the IBF. Dib’s fights in the last five years have come against these fighters:

– Phum Kunmat (12-25-2, 7 KOs) – journeyman

– Yardley Armenta Cruz (24-1-, 14 KOs) – journeyman

– Emilio Norfat (29-10-1, 21 KOs) – journeyman

– Amphol Suriyo

– Sukpraserd Ponpitak (19-9, 13 KOs) – journeyman

– Takashi Miura – Dib knocked out in three rounds by Miura

– Isaias Santos Sampaio (21-14, 21 KOs) – Journeyman

– Ruben Manakane (24-17-1, 13 KOs) – journeyman

– Alberto Garza (26-9-1, 21 KOs) – journeyman

– Evgeny Gradovich – Dibb stopped in the 9th round by Gradovich

– Mike Oliver (26-8-1, 8 KOs) – Journeyman

– Evengeny Gradovich – Dibb beaten by a 12 round decision