Cuban challengers ready for title shots
AMERICA’S heavyweight boxing champion and the best light heavyweights from Russia are being featured on two different boxing cards in New York on Saturday night, but it’s the Cubans who will be trying to steal the show at the respective venues.
Luis “King Kong” Ortiz hopes to become Cuba’s first heavyweight champion when he challenges belt-holder Deontay Wilder in the main event of a boxing card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, Sullivan Barrera is looking to become Cuba’s first light heavyweight champion when he takes on WBA belt-holder Dmitry Bivol of Russia in a featured bout at the Garden Theater. Showtime will televise from Barclays, while HBO cameras will be at the Garden.
Cuba has a long rich history in boxing, but mostly in the lower weight divisions.
“It’s the first time in history this could happen,” Barrera’s trainer Derik Santos said of the potential for a Cuban champion at 175 and at heavyweight. “It’s not history repeated. Cuba has had champions in lower weight divisions, but this is writing history.”
First, Ortiz: The Cuban defector (28-0, 24 KOs) gets a shot at the heavyweight title after a positive test for a banned substance ruined a chance to fight Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) last November. He is a powerful puncher, who is confident he can take the crown.
“He’s talking a lot of nonsense,” Ortiz said of Wilder. “He’s worried about what I’m going to do. This is my time. I’m totally prepared for Deontay Wilder. I’m not going to lose this opportunity. I’m going to be the first Cuban and first Latino born outside the country to win the title. Saturday night will be historic.”
Barrera, meanwhile, will try to quiet the buzz surrounding Bivol, who is 12-0 with 10 knockouts, and looks like one of the best prospects in the sport. Barrera (21-1, 14 KOs) is hoping his experience will work in his favor. He went the distance before losing a decision to Andre Ward and also defeated Long Island’s Joe Smith Jr. last year.
“Who has he beaten?” Barrera asked of Bivol. “Nobody has punched back at him. I respect him. He’s a champion right now. But he needs to prove Saturday that he can beat me.”
Bivol, 27, admits Barrera has the best credentials among any of the opponents he has faced and welcomes the challenge.
“I’m concentrating more on myself than my opponent,” Bivol said. “It’s important for me to work on the things we did in practice. I just work on my stuff and make sure I’m prepared.”
Sergey Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 knockouts) will defend his WBO light heavyweight championship against fellow Russian Igor Mikhalkin (21-1, 9 KOs) in the main event at the Garden, while a rematch between Andre Dirrell (26-2, 16 KOs) and Jose Uzcategui (26-2, 22 KOs) headlines the undercard at Barclays.
Toms River, N.J., native Frankie Edgar (22-5-1, MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) returns to the Octagon on Saturday night for a featherweight throw down with Brian Ortega (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) at UFC 222 in Las Vegas and airing on PPV. Edgar was initially scheduled to face Max Holloway for the featherweight championship, but Holloway pulled out with an injury. There was talk of Edgar fighting Connor McGregor, but Edgar eventually wound up opposite Ortega in a non-title bout.
Cris Cyborg defends her women’s UFC featherweight belt against Yana Kunitskaya in the main event.