Boxing
Yoenis Tellez vs. Brian Mendoza: Who has the edge heading into their fight?
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Interestingly enough, Brian Mendoza is the only man to have stopped Sebastian Fundora, brutally knocking out ‘The Towering Inferno’ back in April 2023.
On Saturday night, Mendoza will look to defeat rising Cuban star Yoenis Tellez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and live on pay-per-view. Ironically, the fight will serve as chief support to the Fundora vs. Keith Thurman headliner for Fundora’s WBC junior middleweight world title.
Mendoza (23-4, 17 KOs) used his 2025 to deliver a fourth-round TKO of Jesus Antonio Rojas in July to bounce back from back-to-back losses at the hands of Tim Tszyu and Serhii Bohachuk. Tellez (11-1, 8 KOs), just 25, bounced back from a loss himself in stopping Kendo Castaneda in five rounds in December, rebounding from a unanimous decision defeat to Abass Baraou in August.
Will Mendoza be able to derail the young upstart Tellez? Or will the Cuban fighter use his pointed style to beat Mendoza? DAZN News analyzes who has the edge entering their junior middleweight matchup.
Boxing Styles
Yoenis Tellez offers a slick boxing, Cuban technical style, often outpointing opponents with the jab and using the stick to systematically break fighters down.
His only loss demonstrated that Tellez could be vulnerable to punching persistence and pressure — areas that Brian Mendoza is known for.
That said, Mendoza’s own pressure gives opponents the green light to hit him. Tellez’ reach advantage and sharp sweet science should be able to score him points and bank rounds.
Edge: Tellez
Power
Mendoza sits on his hooks particularly well, maximizing their blunt force with every detonation.
If successful pressuring and painting Tellez into a corner, Mendoza has the better punching power, though the Cuban has earned some late stoppages.
That makes this category an intriguing one, but an area that tilts slightly to Mendoza.
Edge: Mendoza
Mental Warfare
Mendoza touts the experience edge having shared the ring with a better quality of opponents than a younger Tellez.
He also seems to have the urgency, calling this fight a “must-win” and likening it to when he fought and defeated Jeison Rosario on short notice back in November 2022.
That veteran savvy and insistence are just enough for Mendoza to eke out this category against a confident Tellez as well.
Edge: Mendoza
Who has the edge in Tellez vs. Mendoza?
DAZN News has the edge residing with Mendoza, 2-1, but wouldn’t be surprised if Tellez outpoints the veteran with a sharp boxing lesson. That’s what makes this matchup between the former interim titleholders alluring.
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