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Daniel Jacobs is set to face Sergiy Derevyanchenko on Saturday night’s HBO card from New York, and the “Miracle Man” feels that his pro experience will be a big key to victory against a familiar opponent, one he’s sparred with on numerous occasions.
“I feel like that I have the advantages when it comes to the mental aspect of the experience of knowing I can go full 12 solid rounds with the best of them and compete at an all-time high level. I mean, I know that. I have it in my bank, I have it in the gas tank already.
“A guy that’s inexperienced with only 12 fights, I would presume that it would be a second guess on his behalf. So, only time will tell but for me, I’m just 100 percent physically and mentally ready.”
Jacobs (34-2, 29 KO) has indeed been to the higher levels of the sport, where Derevyanchenko (12-0, 10 KO) has yet to tread. For Jacobs, this is about becoming world champion again, solidifying himself as a top middleweight, and staying in that race to face Canelo Alvarez next spring.
For Derevyanchenko, on the other hand, this is a potential coming out party, a chance for him to establish himself as an elite middleweight. And while it may not be quite 50-50, I don’t think it’s too far off from that, either. On paper, this is a highly competitive matchup.