Daniel Geale: We'll learn a lot about Gennady Golovkin against Macklin

Daniel Geale will be defending his IBF middleweight title on August 17 against Darren Barker, but he'll be keeping a close eye on the WBA title fight this Saturday night between Gennady Golovkin and Matthew Macklin, both of whom could be potential opponents in the near future.

Geale (29-1, 15 KO) believes the fight will teach us something more about Golovkin in particular:

"I've been very close to fighting both of them at different times, particularly Macklin very recently. These are two guys at the very top level and it makes for a very interesting fight. They have very different styles to each other and pose threats in very different ways. I'll be watching the fight closely because obviously I'm keen to keep track of both of them and I think a lot will be learned, especially about Golovkin, on Saturday."

The Aussie is also picking Golovkin to win:

"I think Golovkin probably wins the fight but there is a big chance for an upset in this one. Macklin does have the ability to withstand shots and if he can handle Golovkin early then we'll see what happens. In saying that, he might lack the footwork and speed to win the fight. So, Macklin has a fighter's chance but I reckon Golovkin, probably on points."

Golovkin (26-0, 23 KO) is the solid favorite against Macklin (29-4, 20 KO), but this is the sort of feeling many have, that while Macklin winning would definitely be a big upset, it's far from inconceivable. There's a lot we still don't know about Golovkin.