Thanks once again to Luke Thomas of MMA Nation, and we've got plenty more coming.
Oscar De La Hoya:
"Here in the District of Columbia, Washington, DC, live worldwide on HBO. Thank you to everyone who made this happen. We greatly appreciate all your hard work. Everyone at Golden Boy Promotions, everyone who made this possible. On behalf of Team Khan, on behalf of Team Peterson, on behalf of everyone participating, we want to thank you, Washington, DC, for giving us the opportunity to be here in your home."
Vincent Gray, Mayor of Washington, DC:
"How many people get to be introduced by Oscar De La Hoya? I want to thank him, I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions, for coming to the District of Columbia for this fantastic event. I'm delighted to be able to welcome the Capital Showdown, which will be essentially the unified lightweight (editor's note: junior welterweight) world championship."
After the jump: Quotes from Amir Khan, Lamont Peterson, Seth Mitchell, Timur Ibragimov, Bernard Hopkins, Anthony Peterson, Barry Hunter, and Freddie Roach.
Bernard Hopkins:
"I wanna say one thing about training and teaching, or teachers. When people ask me about boxing today, they say, "Why the fighters haven't accumulated like the 80s and the 90s?' Well, we may never see those eras in the 80s and the 90s. But what we can see is a flash of what's to come. Whether they can start their own legacy in that era remains to be seen. So you have Peterson, and you have Amir Khan. But I challenge everybody that's fighting on this card, from the main event, to the co-main event, to the undercard, to prove that all that was said here today, and yesterday, and all here this week, about DC being a fight town -- which I can vouch, it is. I'd also like to acknowledge real quick, Keith Holmes, who fought for a middleweight championship, and we fought before. But DC has that type of feel. We've got rivals. You have Philly, you have New York, Maryland's always been part of DC so you might as well put both of those together and be real about it. So DC's one of those towns that boxing needs to be back in this area, because of Saturday night. Everybody on this stage here has an opportunity to prove why not only Golden Boy, but other companies and other boxing matches of this level, or HBO, or any major network can come and know that DC is a place to show boxing, and it's a fight town. So they have an opportunity us right. ... They have an opportunity to prove why DC is a boxing place to be."
Anthony Peterson:
"It's been 15 months from Saturday night since I fought. Only thing I can say is, keep your eyes open, don't blink, because I got a lot of stuff to get off my chest on Saturday night. So please, pay attention."
Timur Ibragimov:
"Like I say, I've fought so many times -- like in the Red Square in Moscow, Germany, but never in Washington, in the capital of America. I've already been here nine years in America, I'm already almost an American. That's why for me it's a big honor, and I've got to do my best."
Seth Mitchell:
"I want to thank Timur for taking the fight. I'm excited about the fight, I'm anxious. Like my trainer said, I'm tired of training. I'm not underestimating Timur at all. It's gonna be a great fight Saturday night. Most importantly, I'm confident, I know that this is a big step up for me. You don't get a record of 30 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw without being stopped, without knowing how to fight, maneuver in the ring. I respect my opponent a lot. But come December 10, when the bell rings, I'm pretty sure he won't respect me, and I won't respect him, either. We're gonna go in there and we're gonna have a great fight."
Barry Hunter:
"This is a fight that is just flat-out based on business. Had it not been for that, we'd be hanging out right now. These are real good people, and I love them. Freddie Roach and I are friends. Freddie and I participated in helping the U.S. Olympic team, and I'm pretty sure that going into 2012, it'll have a different look. As long as we stay together. What do you say, Freddie? We stay together, it'll be all good. And of course you have one of the greatest physical trainers that I've been watching over the years in Alex (Ariza). And again, down the line, Bernard 'The Executioner' Hopkins. I've been a fan of Bernard for a long time. I had a chance to talk to one of the greatest teachers of boxing, which is Bowie Fisher. And good friend Naazim Richardson, who turned me on to him. So this is like family."
Lamont Peterson:
"I'm gonna keep it real short today. Like Bernard said, but he didn't do it. I've been talking for two months now. I'm tired of talking. I'm ready to fight. I'm looking forward to a great fight this weekend. Just make sure you'll be there."
Freddie Roach:
"I fought here on March 1, 1986, against Darryl Tyson, and he kicked my butt. We're gonna change the outcome this time. My guy Amir Khan is ready for this fight, we've had a great training camp, and we'll be all there."
Amir Khan:
"I wanna prove I'm the best fighter. Coming to Lamont Peterson's hometown, it's gonna be a tough task. We know how good Lamont is. He's strong, he's only lost one fight in his whole career, and it's gonna be a tough night. He's gonna have a lot of support here. But I really think we'll have a lot more support. We have a big fanbase here in DC, and everywhere I've been going, they've been great. ... We're ready for this fight. I want to thank Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza for all the hard work they've put in. ... It's been great. It's been one of the best training camps I've had. My weight's great, and I just hope you all (watch) Saturday night. It's been a long time since there's been a big fight in DC, and we want to bring the big fights here."