Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Miguel Marriaga fight prediction, preview, boxing odds

This wasn't the opponent Vasyl Lomachenko or promoter Top Rank necessarily had in mind for the WBO junior lightweight champion and pound-for-pound magician's cable television close-up on Saturday.

Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KOs), a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Ukraine, had hoped to make his ESPN debut in a rematch of his only pro defeat, when he dropped a controversial split decision to Orlando Salido in their 2014 featherweight title bout. 

The loss for Lomachenko, who was boldly aiming for his first world title in just his second pro fight, wasn't just debated in terms of the judges scoring. Referee Laurence Cole was also criticized for not taking points away from Salido, who missed weight, for repeated low blows. 

But Salido-Lomachenko II wasn't meant to be for this weekend. Top Rank claims Salido wanted too much money. The Mexican warrior's team had a different story. 

Either way, Lomachenko will still headline a card from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET) in a card -- part of Top Rank's new deal with ESPN that moves its top stars from premium cable HBO to a much larger viewing audience -- meant to showcase his sublime talent and potential. 

Lomachenko, 29, will face veteran Miguel Marriaga (25-2, 21 KOs), a 30-year-old Colombian whose only defeats came in title bouts against Nicholas Walters and Oscar Valdez. 

"People ask me about Orlando Salido," Lomachenko said, through an interpreter. "My answer is that I fight for Top Rank and will take on who they schedule for me. But I would like to welcome Salido to Lomachenko University in the ring some day.

"When I face Marriaga on Saturday, I will need to find the right keys to unlock his defensive door and do what I do best in the ring. Marriaga is a strong fighter. He has heart. I have prepared hard to face him."

Since the Salido loss, all Lomachenko has done is become the quickest boxer in history to win titles in two different weight divisions. He has also made a leap up the P4P rankings despite not yet reaching double digits in professional fights. 

The only issue for Lomachenko has been consistently finding opponents willing to face him. That's the reason he moved up in weight from 126 pounds last year and it hasn't gotten any easier from there. 

While Marriaga is a solid opponent with good pop, he's fresh off a loss and was beaten by a fighter in Walters that Lomachenko legitimately made quit out of frustration as "Hi-Tech" continued to dominate and break down with clean punching. 

Prediction: The overplayed and adage of "you're playing checkers while I'm playing chess" can best be used to describe what it might feel like for recent Lomachenko opponents to deal with movement, angles and accurate punching. 

Lomachenko isn't a prizefighter as much as he's an artist who uses the canvas of the ring to paint his masterpieces. He always appears to be one step ahead of his opponents, not just physically in terms of his unmatched footwork, but even more so mentally. 

Marriaga certainly enters Saturday's bout with a puncher's chance and would be smart to lower his output (thus reducing moments where he can be caught off balance by counters shots) in hopes of timing Lomachenko coming in with the kind of stiff shots that could alter the fight. But it's always easier said than done when facing someone as dynamic as Lomachenko. 

Go back and watch the creative ease in which Lomachenko knocked out Roman Martinez in their 130-pound title bout in June 2016. Lomachenko, a southpaw, set Martinez up with his powerful left only to knock him out with his off hand in a beautiful combination.

While Lomachenko isn't known as a huge puncher for junior lightweight, the speed and angles in which he uses to get punches off only add to their danger due to the fact that opponents don't see them coming. 

Considering the platform afforded Lomachenko on Saturday, another spectacular knockout might do him well to bolster his brand in the United States. Lomachenko, who doesn't yet speak English in interviews, has become the beloved darling of boxing fans in recent years, but he'll get a chance to reach a whole new audience of causal fans on ESPN. 

Pick: Lomachenko by TKO8.