It's fight night again and I'm predicting a battle. Tonight on HBO (10:00 PM and not pay per view) Arturo "Thunder" Gatti takes on Carlos "Tata" Baldomir for the WBC Welterweight belt. Don't let their records fool you, for as we all know by now, "styles make fights".

Gatti is considered the ultimate blood and guts fighter. You'll probably hear that just a few times tonight if you tune into Larry Merchant and crew on HBO. His epic battles with Mickey Ward have achieved legendary status and their first bout garnered fight of the year in 2002.  The match-up with Baldomir could wind up having a similar outcome.

Baldomir, by far the lesser-known boxer, is the WBC champion. Considered a solid, if not average fighter by most, he shocked the world in his last fight at Madison Square Garden. The journeyman from Argentina was considered a "tune-up" for then welterweight champ Zab Judah.

Judah, from Brooklyn, N.Y. and fighting in his own backyard, had his sights set on Floyd Mayweather Jr. He entirely underestimated the experience, professionalism and hunger that Baldomir possesses by showing up out of condition. Carlos won a closely scored unanimous decision to become the title-holder. Having seen that fight myself, I thought Baldomir won by a slightly wider margin than the judges gave him credit for.

Gatti has begun to slow down just a bit over time. In his last appearance he beat up on the unbeaten, yet outclassed, Thomas Damgaard from Sweden. In his previous fight Arturo fought the before mentioned Mayweather Jr. In that contest he was utterly demolished by the superior speed of Floyd, who made Gatti look like he was punching under water.  A TKO stopped the fight in the 6^th round. On a side note, Floyd then proceeded to win a unanimous decision over Baldomir's former foe Judah.

Baldomir would seemingly have the momentum coming into this fight. If he is able to retain his title by beating Gatti, it has been openly stated that he wants a shot at Mayweather Jr.  Be careful what you wish for they say. Whatever his ambition, he will certainly not make Judah's mistake by looking past his opponent tonight. The bout is taking place in Gatti's adopted hometown of Atlantic City and he will be the prohibitive fan favorite. As has happened on every other occasion in his action packed career, Arturo will be toting his over-sized heart into the ring.

What can we expect tonight from the fighters? Believe it or not, despite his unimpressive knockout totals, Baldomir will likely be the one tracking Gatti around the ring. He's a conventional fighter who comes forward at his opponents. He'll look to engage Arturo as much as possible and wear him down with a volume of punches. Although I don't see Carlos scoring a knockout, he's a cagey veteran with enough tactical skill and power to hurt Gatti, or at least rough him up. He stunned Judah badly in his previous title fight but by no means does Judah have Gatti's chin.

Gatti on the other hand will probably try to utilize his often over looked boxing skills. Who would think that a prizefighter with the moniker "Thunder" could also shoot the hands skillfully when necessary? He often switches back and forth from a southpaw to a traditional stance. It's always an added plus when an athlete in any sport is equally adept at using both hands. Arturo is an excellent counter puncher, which will prove beneficial against the pressing Baldomir. It's too much in his nature to stand on the outside and box all night, so look for him to pick opportune times to brawl as well.

Ultimately, if Baldomir can get in Gatti's chest and smother him for most of the fight he will be successful. He's an excellent fighter in close quarters, as was witnessed in his victory over Judah. On the other hand, Arturo has the superior boxing skills and power.  However, I don't envision a knockout for Gatti either, as Baldomir has been stopped just once in his career. Look for plenty of well-placed combinations from Arturo, mixing in the jab and left hook.

It will come down to conditioning. In some fights Arturo has faded down the stretch and the bouts have deteriorated into slugfests. If he is able to do his thing for the full 12 rounds then he wins the decision. If Carlos has more in the tank during the later rounds then the outcome becomes far sketchier for Gatti. If that happens we could be looking at yet another big name going down at the hands of the little known Baldomir.

I say Gatti does just enough to pull it out and winds up looking like this.