Asked for his prediction on social media, Stevenson made it clear he expects Roach to win comfortably.
I got Roach over Zepeda ngl and I lowkey got it BTA
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) July 5, 2026
“BTA” is shorthand for “belt to ass,” meaning Stevenson expects Roach to dominate rather than edge a close decision.
Roach enters the fight with momentum despite coming off a draw against Isaac Cruz at 140 pounds last December. Many fans also believe he deserved the decision against Gervonta Davis in their controversial March 2025 fight after Davis was not penalized for voluntarily taking a knee, a ruling that likely cost Roach the WBA lightweight title.
Shakur’s prediction is worth considering because he owns a victory over Zepeda and has firsthand experience with his relentless style. He weathered Zepeda’s relentless pressure, landing the cleaner punches often enough to earn a unanimous decision.
Roach possesses many of those same technical qualities, although he generally fights at a higher pace than Shakur and is willing to exchange more often.
The biggest question is whether Roach can consistently keep Zepeda from building momentum. If he controls the distance and avoids prolonged exchanges along the ropes, he has a strong chance of following the same blueprint Shakur used to hand Zepeda the only loss of his career.
