Gamer
12-04-2010, 03:02 AM
c/p By Mark Vester
WBA mandatory challenger Marcos Maidana has been training in Las Vegas for nine weeks with head-trainer Miguel Diaz. He feels very confident with the approaching title fight with champion Amir Khan, taking place next Saturday at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
"This fight is very important to me. I'm very hungry to win this fight because I want to get the title at junior welterweight. I've had great sparring. I'm ready," Maidana said.
The only opponent who faced both of these fighters is former champion Andriy Kotelnik. Maidana lost a close decision to Kotelnik, and Khan decisioned Kotelnik for the WBA title. Maidana has always felt that he should have beaten Kotelnik and feels that he actually did more damage against Kotelnik than Khan.
"I hit Kotelnik much more than Amir. I hurt him, but this is from the past. It has nothing to do with this fight. Believe me, I'm ready for this fight," Maidana said.
For his part, Diaz doesn't feel the Kotelnik result, for either boxer, is relevant to this contest.
"I was not with Maidana at the time of that fight. I only watched a tape. I thought the fight could have been a draw or Maidana could have been the winner of that fight. I saw the fight with Amir winning. The performances were very similar. There was nothing special in Amir's win and there was nothing special in Maidana's loss. That fight doesn't make any difference on this fight," Diaz said.
Most are expecting Khan to box and use his legs to stay away from Maidana's power punches. Khan has promised to stand his ground and fight when needed. Maidana is ready for either version of Khan. He wants everyone to know that Khan will not be able to run in the fight. Maidana has been working very hard to prevent Khan from using his legs in the ring.
"If he wants to stand with me, it's not a secret, that's going to be my fight. I've worked with sparring partners who have imitated his movements and for the first time I've learned to cut off the ring. [I'll] try to pin him in the corner and pin him on the ropes and force my fight," Maidana said.
WBA mandatory challenger Marcos Maidana has been training in Las Vegas for nine weeks with head-trainer Miguel Diaz. He feels very confident with the approaching title fight with champion Amir Khan, taking place next Saturday at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
"This fight is very important to me. I'm very hungry to win this fight because I want to get the title at junior welterweight. I've had great sparring. I'm ready," Maidana said.
The only opponent who faced both of these fighters is former champion Andriy Kotelnik. Maidana lost a close decision to Kotelnik, and Khan decisioned Kotelnik for the WBA title. Maidana has always felt that he should have beaten Kotelnik and feels that he actually did more damage against Kotelnik than Khan.
"I hit Kotelnik much more than Amir. I hurt him, but this is from the past. It has nothing to do with this fight. Believe me, I'm ready for this fight," Maidana said.
For his part, Diaz doesn't feel the Kotelnik result, for either boxer, is relevant to this contest.
"I was not with Maidana at the time of that fight. I only watched a tape. I thought the fight could have been a draw or Maidana could have been the winner of that fight. I saw the fight with Amir winning. The performances were very similar. There was nothing special in Amir's win and there was nothing special in Maidana's loss. That fight doesn't make any difference on this fight," Diaz said.
Most are expecting Khan to box and use his legs to stay away from Maidana's power punches. Khan has promised to stand his ground and fight when needed. Maidana is ready for either version of Khan. He wants everyone to know that Khan will not be able to run in the fight. Maidana has been working very hard to prevent Khan from using his legs in the ring.
"If he wants to stand with me, it's not a secret, that's going to be my fight. I've worked with sparring partners who have imitated his movements and for the first time I've learned to cut off the ring. [I'll] try to pin him in the corner and pin him on the ropes and force my fight," Maidana said.